13/11/23
Teenager sentenced for terrorism offences
A teenager from Swindon has been sentenced to six years in prison for the possession and dissemination of terrorist material.
18-year-old Malaki Wheeler was convicted of six offences after a three-week trial at Winchester Crown Court.
The offences include three offences of disseminating terrorist publications, contrary to Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006 and three offences of collecting information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, contrary to Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
Wheeler was arrested in May 2021 after detectives identified his role in an online chat group, where like-minded individuals were suspected of sharing extreme right-wing views, content and instructional material.
Wheeler was found to be prolific contributor, regularly posting racist and antisemitic material and propaganda, as well as information about how to create weapons and explosives.
Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTPNE), Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, said: “It is concerning to see young people engaging in extremist behaviour in chat groups, with little thought to the potential consequences of their actions.
“This case demonstrates both the seriousness of those actions and the real-world reality of committing offences online.
“If someone you know is expressing extreme views or hatred, we’d urge you to ACT Early and get help before the situation escalates into something more serious."
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