A 16-year-old boy from Cornwall has become the youngest person in the UK known to have committed a terrorist offence after admitting 12 charges linked to his role as leader of a neo-Nazi group. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at the Old Bailey via video link on Monday and pleaded guilty to two counts of disseminating terrorist documents and ten of possessing terrorist material.
The court heard that his offending began at the age of 13 when he downloaded a bombmaking manual and started collecting extremist material. Within months, he joined the neo-Nazi cult Fascist Forge and later became the leader of the British branch of Feuerkrieg Division (FKD), a now-banned terrorist organisation that idolises far-right mass murderers and encourages lone-wolf attacks.
Between October 2018 and July 2019, the boy amassed a significant amount of far-right material and was active on online platforms, expressing racist, homophobic and antisemitic views. He spoke of gassing Jewish people, hanging gay people and wanting to shoot up their parades. Prosecutors said his conduct betrayed a maturity beyond his age.
Police searched his home after reports he was constructing a weapon. No weapon was found, but officers discovered a Nazi flag and slogan on a garden shed, along with manuals on making weapons and instructions on how to kill people on his electronic devices. In interview, the boy claimed he made extremist comments 'to look cool'.
The court heard that he was in contact with a 14-year-old Estonian founder of FKD and recruited five British members, including Paul Dunleavy, 17, who was jailed last year for preparing acts of terrorism. The cell aimed to enact 'white jihad' and genocide of non-white people.
In mitigation, the defence argued the teenager had a 'dreadful childhood' and sought approval online. Judge Mark Dennis said he would consider whether the boy was immature or naive before passing sentence next week. The defendant was granted bail with strict conditions, including a ban on using computers without police permission.
