5 months ago
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Counter Terror Policing North East
Counter terror police found an air rifle in the teenager's home
A 16-year-old boy from Northumberland has been found guilty of being part of a banned neo-Nazi organisation.
A jury at Leeds Crown Court unanimously convicted him of membership of the paramilitary group The Base, as well as possessing and sharing terror publications.
They were unable to reach a decision on the most serious allegation he faced - that he was preparing acts of terrorism - and the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed it would not seek a retrial.
The boy, who cannot be named because of his age, will be sentenced on 27 March.
Counter terror police raided the teenager's home last February and said it discovered an "arsenal" of weapons, including a crossbow, knives and a gas-powered air pistol.
The jury were shown images of the boy's bedroom where police found a replica Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS)-style cap, a full-sized skeleton with a mask, and posters relating to The Base.
The defence had told jurors the boy denied "he ever actually intended to carry out any act of terrorism" and they needed to consider his life experience.
Counter Terror Policing North East
The teenager had posters in support of the banned neo-Nazi organisation called The Base in his room
The jury heard the banned group the boy joined, The Base, believed in race war and wanted to bring about the collapse of society to create a "white supremacist utopia".
Steven Rai, from research and advocacy group Institute for Strategic Dialogue, said it was not the only case of a minor being connected with the organisation, with young people also being arrested Italy and the Netherlands for membership.
He said: "I think it is a very alarming sign of how youth are being increasingly drawn to some of these extremist networks."
