Birmingham Man Charged Over Offensive Online Message
A Birmingham man has been charged under Section 127(1) of the Communications Act 2003 after a long-running investigation into hate crime documents passed to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) back in 2018.
Folder Sparks Hate Crime Probe
On 4 September 2018, Commissioner Cressida Dick received a folder of paperwork after a radio interview with LBC. The documents were alleged to contain evidence of anti-Semitic hate crimes. Specialist detectives examined the material, launching a criminal investigation into some of the claims.
Mohson Rasool Brought to Justice
On 26 January 2020, 60-year-old Mohson Rasool, from Hollybank Road, Birmingham, was charged with sending a grossly offensive message on 10 February 2018 via a public electronic communications network. Rasool is set to appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 25 March.
Rasool was previously arrested on 7 March 2019 for suspicion of stirring up racial hatred under the Public Order Act 1986 after police executed a warrant at his Birmingham address. He was interviewed under caution and released under investigation. A file on Rasool was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in September 2019.
Ongoing Investigations and CPS Decisions
- The CPS ruled today that evidence relating to four other individuals did not meet prosecution standards, closing those investigations.
- Enquiries continue into a man in his 60s, interviewed in July 2019 in Bradford under caution for similar racial hatred offences. No CPS file has been submitted yet.
- Five more files were sent to the CPS in January 2020 for early advice on other suspects, none of whom have been arrested or interviewed yet.
The MPS continue their work to tackle hate crimes and hold offenders accountable.
