GTA resident facing terrorism charges: RCMP

A residentofthe Greater Toronto Area is facing charges forallegedly participating in the activities of a listed terroristgroup, the RCMP says.

In a news release issued Thursday, police said that following a "lengthy national security investigation," a person has been charged with:

• Participating in the activities of a terrorist group for the purpose of enhancing the ability of the terrorist group to carry out terrorist activity.
• Counselling another person to commit a terrorism offence.

Police say the alleged offences happened when the person was a youth, and therefore they cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

"The RCMP is continuing to investigate and assess possible impacts of this alleged activity," the news release reads.

"At this time, there are no known associated risks to the public."

RCMP officials told CBCNews the charges relate to "creating and distributing terrorist propaganda online" and stem from information relayed from the FBI in 2021.

The accused was arrested on Monday, police say.

Investigators also saidin the news release that the RCMP "continues to be concerned with the growing trend of violent extremism," noting that radicalization to violence is not driven by any particular background, culture or religion.

"As part of our core values, the employees of the RCMP are committed to working with our partners to protect our communities,"Supt. James Parr said in a statement.

"We would like to acknowledge the Toronto Police Service, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, the Ministry of the Attorney General, the Provincial Anti-Terrorist Section and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for their co-operation and collaboration during the course of this investigation."

Police say the accused in this case will appear via video link for a court appearance on Aug. 27.