Mississippi woman gets 12-year sentence on terrorism charge

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi woman who tried to join the Islamic State group sought to apologize at sentencing today, tearful as a federal judge ordered her to spend 12 years in prison on a terrorism charge.

Vicksburg native Jaelyn Young, who once sought to disguise a planned journey to Syria as her honeymoon, told U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock that she finds what she did "surreal," adding she felt shame over her actions and sorrow for the humiliation she caused her family.

"I wasn't myself. I said and did things that were so contrary to me," the 20-year-old Young said, hunching her shoulders as she broke down in sobs. "Much of this remains surreal to me."

"When things really began to snap back into place, then I began to feel shame," Young added.

Judge Aycock, in addition to ordering prison time, also sentenced Young to 15 years of probation, including a requirement that she undergo mental health treatment and that probation officers be allowed to search her electronic devices to ensure she wasn't engaging in any pro-terrorist activity online.