At just 13 years old, Thomas Carrick was placed under covert surveillance by the Australian Federal Police. Believing he was speaking to ISIS operatives online, Thomas was in fact engaging with undercover officers, conversations that would eventually see him charged with terrorism offences.

The AFP knew Thomas lived with autism and an intellectual disability. Still, they pursued him in a way a judge later described as ‘grooming’ him for terrorism.

So, was Thomas ever a real threat? Or just a vulnerable boy pulled into a fantasy world by those meant to protect him?

In this episode, counter-terrorism expert Peta Lowe - who also features in Secrets We Keep: Lone Actor - unpacks the Carrick case and what it reveals about the growing risk of youth radicalisation in Australia.

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