Teen who called himself Hitler sentenced for terror offences

National Action promoting one of its "conferences"

A schoolboy who created his own online neo-Nazi group has been sentenced after admitting terrorism offences.

The 16-year-old, from Newcastle, called himself Hitler and set up accounts on multiple social media platforms which glorified extreme right-wing violence.

He had pleaded guilty to four counts of inviting support for National Action, a banned neo-Nazi organisation.

At North Tyneside Magistrates' Court, sitting as a youth court, he was given a 12-month intensive referral order.

The youth had also admitted three counts of encouraging terrorism and four of stirring up racial and religious hatred.

He was further made the subject of terrorism notification requirements for 10 years, meaning he will have to keep the authorities informed of his whereabouts and certain activities.

After first being arrested in October 2019 he continued to post racist material.

The boy committed his first terrorism offence aged 15, making him the third youngest person in the UK to commit a terror offence.

'Glorified murder'

National Action was banned in 2016 under counter terror laws, making it illegal to be a member of the organisation or invite support for it.

The BBC is not naming the small group created by the youth.

A manifesto said the group's aim was to turn Britain into a white ethno-state free of Jewish influence by any means necessary.

Hiding behind an online alias, the boy created his own anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim propaganda. He also posted National Action images.

On the Gab social media site he glorified the murder of the MP Jo Cox by a neo-Nazi, as well as the far-right killer responsible for the deadly Finsbury Park attack in June 2017.

He created stickers bearing his group's logo which he plastered in his local area.

A pre-sentence expert report said the autistic teenager probably had "only an approximate understanding of the words and concepts deployed" and it is "likely that he did not see the wider ramifications of his activities, now seamlessly replaced apparently by interests such as Dad's Army".