Social media reveals Queensland teen's 'double life' amid fears he has joined al Qaeda-linked group

A teenager from Toowoomba, believed to be fighting alongside terrorists in Syria, has been found to be leading a double life through several social media profiles.

Oliver Bridgeman, 18, is feared to be fighting with al Nusra, which aims to overthrow the Assad regime in favour of a Sunni Islamic state.

Bridgeman's online profiles reveal his apparent double life, with friends and family saying he had seemed a normal, happy teenager.

A Facebook profile for his alias Yusuf Oli displays growing passion for Islam, but denounced extremism as recently as December.

However, the AFP believe the aspiring rugby league player may have been targeted online by extremists and radicalised.

On another profile, Bridgeman posted photos of himself playing soccer with disadvantaged children in Indonesia.

His parents believed he was doing humanitarian work, but it appears it was a front allowing the 18-year-old to travel to Turkey before slipping into Syria.

Federal police are working with the Bridgeman family to try to bring the teenager home.

His family yesterday released a statement, pleading for his safe return home.

"We had no indication that he was making plans to travel to the Middle East," he statement from the Bridgeman family read.

"We do not believe he is participating in fighting of any kind, nor do we believe he is supporting or participating in terrorist acts.

"We love our son very much and will continue to contribute to all efforts being undertaken to see our son return home safely."

The government is also proposing a strict new terror law that would see "hate preachers" deported to their country of origin or even another country.

However, existing treaties to which Australia is a party would make it difficult to render anybody complete "stateless" which is essentially what the government is proposing.