Tuesday, May 24, 2022

UK

Neo-Nazi who spread antisemitism won’t face extra jail time for child abuse images

Hitler-obsessed autistic influencer was sentenced for counter-terrorism offences and spreading anti-semitism - but won't have to face longer in jail for storing child abuse images

L:uke Hunter. PIcture: Counter Terrorism Policing North East
L:uke Hunter. PIcture: Counter Terrorism Policing North East

The Hitler-obsessed son of an anti-terror cop jailed for right wing terrorism offences will serve no extra time in prison for making child abuse images.

Police found abuse pictures and videos on Luke Huntere’s hard drive at his home in the village of High Callerton, eight miles north-west of Newcastle, in October 2019

Anti-terror officers had executed a warrant at the house, where he was living alone, and also found white supremacist texts, along with military training manuals and guides on surveillance, guerrilla warfare, weapons and explosives.

Hunter, whose father was an anti-terror detective in the Metropolitan Police, had created content and established his own website – using an alias – with white supremacist, antisemitic and homophobic views. It promoted terrorist handbooks and instructional materials.

Hunter in December 2020 admitted seven charges of encouraging terrorism and disseminating terrorist publications. He was sentenced to four years and two months in prison, with an extended licence of an extra year, at Leeds Crown Court – but will now get no extra sentence for the child abuse material.

Indecent images had been found in a chat featuring 35 people on the Kik platform, during which 90 messages were exchanged, with 21 attachments.

Abuse images and videos were also on his hard drive. Of the indecent images, there were 22 of the most serious, category A images, 11 category B and 39 category C. Material was put around one child’s neck in which she appears to be being strangled while being sexually abused.

High Callerton. Picture: Google Streetview

The search in his home in the quiet hamlet had revealed he had an obsession with Hitler and neo-Nazism and had a large number of white supremacist texts, along with military training manuals and guides on surveillance, guerrilla warfare, weapons and explosives.

Hunter, 24 – who is autistic – pleaded guilty last week, 16 May, to three offences of making indecent images. He was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment but was told the term will run concurrently to the sentence he is already serving.

He will also have to sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

Hunter had a significant online reach, particularly among young people, with his Telegram channel alone having more than 1,200 subscribers.

He was arrested as part of an investigation into right-wing terrorism, led by Counter Terrorism Policing North East.

Officers recovered Nazi memorabilia and a machete from his bedroom. Hunter’s media devices were found to contain thousands of documents, videos and audio files of extreme right-wing material. There were also manifestos of mass murderers and recordings of Hunter expressing his neo-Nazi views.

Officers said he was “persistent and prolific” in his efforts to promote right-wing terrorism, using different platforms and accounts to disseminate hate.

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