Teen sentenced over recipes to make explosives

A teenager has been sentenced for gathering a "library of terrorist material".

The boy, from Wakefield, was arrested in 2021, when he was 14 years old, following an investigation into his online activity.

Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTPNE) said the white British defendant, who is now 17, had developed "an extremist mindset and a growing obsession with the manufacture of explosives".

The force said the youth, who cannot be named due to his age, had shared openly racist, homophobic and antisemitic views online, and said he wanted to join ISIL and make bombs.

CTPNE clarified that he was not a radicalised Muslim.

Investigations revealed that he had stored and shared material about mass shootings in the US and recipes for making explosives.

In May, he admitted three counts of possessing information useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism and one offence of disseminating terrorist publications.

The pleas were entered on the basis that it was reckless.

At Leeds Youth Court on Wednesday, he was sentenced to a three-year criminal behaviour order and a 12-month youth rehabilitation order.

Supt Matthew Davison, head of prevent and interventions at CTPNE, said: "The number of young people in our caseload continues to increase, fuelled by the volume of hate-filled propaganda that is readily available online.

"It is concerning to see someone's views and behaviour escalate in this way.

"He was developing a library of terrorist publications, which he regularly shared with others.

"At the time of his arrest, he was in possession of some very disturbing material and enough information to make his own explosives."

Davison said young people needed to understand that online activity had consequences.

"Seeking and sharing harmful content has serious implications for their future, and in the wrong hands, it could also pose a threat to the safety of others," he added.

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