28/03/24

Satanist neo-Nazi jailed over terror offences

A teenager who promoted neo-Nazi Satanism online has been jailed for terrorism offences and having videos of a girl cutting his name into her body.

Vincent Charlton, 17, from Birtley, Gateshead, can be publicly named after reporting restrictions were lifted following an application by the BBC.

At Newcastle Crown Court he was sentenced to two years and four months in prison.

Judge Adams said there was a “significant risk of him causing serious harm”.

Charlton pleaded guilty in 2023 to disseminating terrorist publications, four counts of possessing documents useful to a terrorist, and making and possessing indecent images of children.

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Angus MacDonald, prosecuting, said Charlton’s mobile phone contained videos of a 13-year-old girl in the US, and messages between them “demonstrate the control Vincent exerted over a vulnerable young child which caused her to harm herself and send images of that harm to him.”

Other indecent images he possessed included videos of very young children being raped and sexually abused.

Bomb-making manuals

When initially released on bail, after first being arrested in May, he broke his conditions by accessing social media hundreds of times, including looking at accounts of children and trying to contact one, and separately messaging a girl and inciting her to self-harm.

There was evidence that Charlton was a member of a Telegram group associated with the “764” cult, which promotes murder, sexual abuse, self-harm, and terrorism. It is currently the subject of police investigations in several countries.

In one online channel Charlton uploaded 939 documents, including bomb-making manuals.

When asked by another user if he was going to “blow up a school”, Charlton responded by saying “of course”, and then shared a guide on how to build a pipe bomb and another on assassination techniques.

'Massively grown up'

The judge said Charlton had promoted the Nazi Satanist group Order of the Nine Angles, which the court heard seeks a supernatural “Satanic empire” to end modern civilisation and encourages crime, rape, and the idea that murder is the ultimate goal.

The group is connected to the banned terrorist groups National Action, Sonnenkrieg Division and Atomwaffen Division, the court was told.

Expert reports said Charlton had an interest in “gore” from the age of 12, as well as websites fixated on “real death” and graphic violence.

Toby Hedworth KC, defending, submitted that Charlton was different to the person who went into custody. The court heard he has been assessed as autistic.

His mother gave evidence and said her son “has massively grown up” in prison and demonstrated “impeccable behaviour” there.

Charlton was also sentenced to an extended licence period of one year after being released.