A teenager from Swindon has been sentenced to six years imprisonment today, Friday November 3, for the possession and dissemination of terrorist material.
Custody image of Wheeler
A jury convicted 18 year old Malaki Wheeler (13/11/04) of six offences following a three-week trial at Winchester Crown Court last month.
These included 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.
The court heard that Wheeler, who can be seen in the attached custody image, 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 proved to be prolific contributor, regularly posting racist and antisemitic material and propaganda, in addition to 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.
Wheeler Shoe Box Contents
“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.
“Please visit www.actearly.uk for further information or call the ACT Early support line in confidence on 0800 011 3764 to share your concerns.”