A 16-year-old from Northumberland has been locked up for three and a half years after being found guilty of multiple terrorism offences.
Jury Convicts Teen of Terror Charges
The youngster was convicted at Leeds Crown Court earlier this year following a three-week trial. Charges included membership of a banned extremist group, along with possession and spreading of terrorist materials.
Shocking Evidence from Home Raid
Arrested in an intelligence-led swoop on 20 February 2025, officers seized his computer and phone, downloading a massive 4.8TB of data comprising 253,005 messages. Investigations revealed he was involved in 25 extreme right-wing chat groups across Telegram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Wire.
During his trial, the teen said he created a fake online persona to escape reality, with his social media use escalating through his childhood. But the evidence told a darker story.
Police searches uncovered a worrying arsenal at his home, including knives, a crossbow, airsoft rifles, body armour, masks, extremist flags, and bomb-making parts.
Sentencing and Future Restrictions
Identified only as a minor for legal reasons, the teen was sentenced to 3.5 years in youth custody plus one year on extended licence. Additionally, he faces a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order to monitor and restrict his activities upon release.
