An Australian self-styled Islamic preacher who voiced support for the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris is facing a criminal charge.

Federal police have confirmed officers conducted a search of the Sydney home of Junaid Thorne as part of an unspecified ongoing investigation.

The 25-year-old is understood to face a single charge under the Commonwealth Aviation Act.

He was charged by summons to appear in a Perth court at a date to be fixed.

Thorne moved from Perth to Sydney late last year after earning notoriety for his support for the same Islamist values as Islamic State.

In recent days he has been condemned for his social media comments on the Paris massacre after posting remarks that insulting someone's prophet would cause a backlash.

Thorne moved to Saudi Arabia with his family when he was nine and stayed there for 14 years until he was deported in 2013 for protesting his brother's imprisonment.

His older brother, Shayden Thorne, was arrested on terrorism charges and was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in a Saudi prison.

He served three years before he was pardoned in February last year.

Junaid Thorne has toured Australia hosting a series of lectures at Islamic centres known for their hardline views of Islam.

He said teenager Numan Haider, who was shot dead outside a Melbourne police station in September, was one of his followers.