Teenager from Cornwall becomes one of Britain's youngest convicted terrorists
The youngster began gathering far-right material aged 13
A teenager from Cornwall, who was the leader of a neo-Nazi cell, has become one of Britain's youngest convicted terrorists.
The boy was aged just 13 when he began gathering terrorist material and went on to share far right extremist ideology in online chatrooms at the age of 14.
On Monday, he appeared before the Old Bailey to be sentenced, having admitted twelve offences - two of dissemination of terrorist documents and 10 of possession of terrorist material.
The court heard that between October 2018 and July 2019, the youth collected a significant amount of far right material and manuals and was active on online platforms, expressing racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic views.
He talked about "gassing'' Jewish people, hanging gay people and wanting to "shoot up their parades'', the court heard.
In the summer of 2019, he became the British cell leader of the FKD - Feuerkrieg Division - a neo-Nazi group that idolises the likes of Anders Breivik, the court heard.
The court heard the banned network favoured actions over words and encouraged individuals to commit "lone wolf'' attacks.
The defendant liaised with FKD's 13-year-old "commander'' in Estonia and was responsible for vetting and recruiting members and propaganda, it was claimed.
One of his five recruits was teenager Paul Dunleavy, who was convicted of terrorism offences relating to his activities as a member of FKD in 2019 and with whom he discussed the acquisition of firearms, the court was told.
The defendant also allegedly commissioned a "Nuke London'' poster which bore an image of an atom bomb cloud explosion over the Houses of Parliament with the slogan "Sterilise the cesspit that you call London''.
Police raided the defendant's home on July 23 2019 as a result of information which suggested that he had been trying to construct a weapon.
No weapons were found but his mobile phone and computer were seized.
During the search, officers found a Nazi flag and a copy of a neo-Nazi text depicting post-apocalyptic sadistic violence.
The number "1488'' - a well-known Nazi symbol - was also painted on to the garden shed.
In a police interview, the defendant, now aged 16, denied having had any racist, homophobic or anti-Semitic views, and said his comments and posts were just "to look cool''.
He claimed that he had been considering leaving FKD for about a month.
Prosecutor Naomi Parsons said: "The Crown do not accept he was planning to leave the group.
"The age is the alarming factor and his conduct betrays a maturity beyond his chronological age.''
The defendant, who is on bail, attended the Old Bailey remotely from Plymouth.
In mitigation, Deni Matthews spoke of his troubled upbringing without a positive parental role model in his life.
The lawyer said: "A damaged young man sought approval by expressing views he certainly does not ascribe to now and was unlikely to have ascribed to genuinely at the time.''
Mr Matthews told the court he had spoken to the defendant about grooming and understood it had taken place before his involvement with FKD.
He said: "He has already gone on other forums expressing anger at how he has been treated at school unfairly.''
Encouraged by positive responses to racist remarks, the boy was directed on by often older people, he said.
Judge Mark Dennis QC indicated that he would sentence the youth next Monday.
Previously, Britain's youngest terrorist was a 14-year-old boy who plotted to murder police officers in Australia on Anzac Day.
The youth, from Blackburn, Lancashire, who can only be identified as RXG, sent encrypted messages instructing an Australian jihadist to launch attacks during a 2015 parade.
He was jailed for life in October 2015 after admitting inciting terrorism overseas, but last month the Parole Board decided he could be released.