Details of the allegations against Mohamed Musse Bakit were revealed in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday as he applied for bail.
The 65-year-old, who appeared in court on a video link from prison, is facing five charges including intentionally being a member of a terrorist organisation and transmitting violent extremist material.
Bakit first came to the attention of authorities in November 2020 when he was stopped by Australian Border Force while travelling to Egypt to visit his mother.
A USB stick, phone and other storage devices were examined at that time and allegedly contained videos of an Islamic preacher promoting jihad, Detective Leading Senior Constable Katharine Dillon told the court.
Bakit was allowed to leave the country but his devices were examined again when he returned to Australia in June 2021.
He allegedly admitted to Border Force there were lectures on his USB that could be regarded as extremist, stating he did not support IS, but supported its stance against the Syrian government.
Federal police did not contact Bakit until July 2024, when they raided his Carlton home in Melbourne's inner-north and seized electronic storage devices, Sen Const Dillon said.
A subsequent analysis of his phone allegedly uncovered 9754 messages Bakit had sent in a WhatsApp group chat created by another IS supporter.
One of Bakit's alleged messages was a pledge of allegiance to IS sent on December 15, 2018, Sen Const Dillon told the court.
He also allegedly sent 3189 images, 1609 audio files, 811 videos and 487 documents of IS propaganda, including material showing beheadings, battle footage and public executions.
It's alleged Bakit sent more than 67 per cent of the messages that were found in the group chat.
Bakit was a prolific messenger and he held influence over other group members who described him as a hero who shouted the truth, Sen Const Dillon said.
Police also allegedly uncovered videos on Bakit's devices, including the violent beheading of American Nicholas Berg.
The prosecution opposed bail, but Bakit's barrister Michael McGrath argued there were exceptional reasons to release his client
He had no prior convictions and required assistance with daily tasks after suffering a stroke in 2023, Mr McGrath said.
Bakit's wife also relied on him as she could not speak English or work in Australia, the barrister said.
Mr McGrath argued there were triable issues in the case and his client had not tried to flee the state, instead attending voluntarily to be interviewed by police in August 2025 and January 2026.
Deputy chief magistrate Gerard Lethbridge is expected to hand down a bail decision on October 8.
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