22-Year-Old Man Admits Trying to Join ISIS After Watching YouTube, TikTok Videos.

A 22-year-old man on trial in the United Kingdom has admitted attempting to travel to Somalia to join the Islamic State group (ISIS), saying he was influenced by videos he watched on YouTube and TikTok.

Mohamed Mohamoud, who was born in Somalia and moved to Bristol in 2020, is standing trial at Winchester Crown Court over allegations that he prepared acts of terrorism between October 1, 2024, and March 5, 2025.

While giving evidence in court, Mohamoud admitted that he attempted to travel to Somalia in January 2025 to join ISIS but denied planning to carry out a terrorist attack or assist anyone in doing so.

When his barrister, Dominic Thomas, asked whether he accepted that he had attempted to join ISIS, Mohamoud replied, “Yes, I do.”

Asked what his plea would be if charged with the offence, he responded, “Plead guilty.”

The prosecution told the court that Mohamoud travelled to Somalia in an attempt to become a “martyr” for ISIS. However, he was reportedly unable to reach the group because of counter-terrorism operations and returned to the UK in early March.

Prosecutor Naomi Parsons also alleged that Mohamoud used an AI chatbot to help him establish contact with ISIS members in Somalia. After returning to the UK, he allegedly remained in communication with ISIS recruiters and told them he would return whenever they called on him.

‘I Was Watching Extreme Videos’

Mohamoud told the court that he had not been religious before he began watching religious content on YouTube. He later encountered TikTok videos promoting ISIS.

He said the videos were “extreme” but did not initially contain violent material, describing them as people discussing issues such as democracy, socialism and those they regarded as “disbelievers.”

According to his testimony, he was watching videos criticising democracy and other political systems when he came across content promoting ISIS.

He said the material influenced his view that groups opposing democracy were “doing something right,” after which he commented on one of the videos expressing his desire to “emigrate” and join ISIS.

Mohamoud moved to Bristol as a teenager to live with his mother and later attended college, where he studied English, mathematics and cooking.

He had previously lived in the United Arab Emirates with his stepmother. He also told the court that he had a difficult relationship with his mother and had only seen her once since his parents separated when he was three years old.

The trial is continuing.

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