In a recent court ruling, an 18-year-old teenager from Swindon has been sentenced to six years in prison for the possession and dissemination of terrorist material. Malaki Wheeler, born on November 13, 2004, was found guilty of six offences following a three-week trial at Winchester Crown Court.
The charges against Wheeler included three counts of disseminating terrorist publications under Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006, and three counts of collecting information likely to be useful for committing or preparing an act of terrorism under Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
During the trial, it was revealed that Wheeler was arrested in May 2021 after detectives identified his involvement in an online chat group where individuals with extreme right-wing views were suspected of sharing content and instructional material. Wheeler was found to be an active participant, regularly posting racist and antisemitic material, as well as propaganda and information on how to create weapons and explosives.
Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, the Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTPNE), expressed concern about the involvement of young people in extremist behaviour online, emphasising the serious consequences of such actions. He urged individuals to take action by seeking help if they know someone expressing extreme views or hatred before the situation escalates. Resources such as the website http:///www.actearly.uk and the confidential ACT Early support line at 0800 011 3764 were provided for further assistance.
