This teen didn't join Isis because of Ucas. But he probably did join Isis

Remember the boy who didn't join Isis because he missed the Ucas deadline?

According to the Sydney Morning Herald he has been identified as an 18-year-old Australian man named Jake.

His picture went viral in December after being tweeted by Abū Dāwūd, who claimed to be a “journalist reporting on foreign affairs” on his now-defunct Twitter profile. Dāwūd had written that the man was called Jonathan Edwards and that he "applied for Ucas" but missed the deadline so joined Isis instead. At the time, the Ucas deadline had not yet passed.

The Sydney Morning Herald had his identity verified by friends and reported Jake was a convert from Melbourne who disappeared in 2014. A former school friend was quoted anonymously by the paper saying Jake "made his own choice and he believes its (sic) the right choice".

They added: "He was not NOT pushed into IS [Islamic State] and was not pushed into Islam. People can make their own decisions and this was one of his ...he felt that it was right for him ... He had done sufficient research to believe it was the right step in life." Jake is reported to have left Australia in August 2014.

Shiraz Maher, a senior fellow at ICSR (International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence), King’s College London told i100.co.uk the story seemed "legitimate", adding: "There isn't anything to suggest the picture is doctored and when it first emerged online, there were fighters in Syria claiming to know the man pictured. Australian news reports suggest some journalists have spoken to the family of the man involved, which would add to its legitimacy."

More: No, a teen did not join Isis because he missed the Ucas deadline