Boy, then 16, described himself a nine to 10 on the ‘full-on Nazi Hitler’ scale. A teenage neo-Nazi who researched how to convert a blank-firing gun into a lethal weapon has been convicted for preparing acts of terrorism. The 17-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, joined the Feuerkrieg Division (FKD) online before it was banned as a terrorist organisation. Birmingham Crown Court heard that he rated himself as a nine to 10 on the “full-on Nazi Hitler” scale when questioned by police, but the boy denied planning a terror attack in court. The defendant, from Rugby in Warwickshire, said he “had existed in an echo chamber” of far-right chat rooms, amid mounting warnings about online radicalisation. (…) Detective Chief Superintendent Kenny Bell said the teenager had been discovered by a “covert internet investigator” who engaged with him online and allowed police to identify him from anonymous chats. “He was a member of Feuerkrieg Division, clearly with extreme right-wing violent ideology and trying to accelerate a race war,” he added. “Having become part of that group and got online he was discussing with them how he had the capability to source a blank firing firearm and convert it so it could be used.” Investigators did not identify a target for any potential attack, but said they swooped on the teenager because of fears he would be able to create a live firearm. Prosecutor Matthew Brook told the court the boy had asked an adult friend for advice on where he could buy a blank-firing gun. ”Even before joining FKD, the defendant was interested in whether this was a serious group that could be involved in physical action in the real world, rather than being in his words ‘just an online thing,” he added. Birmingham Crown Court heard that the boy was admitted as a member of FKD after doing an online test where he was asked his opinion of Jews and fascism.
via independent: Neo-Nazi teenager convicted of preparing acts of terrorism after trying to obtain gun to ‘smash heads’