A young man from Bittaford, near Plymouth, named Harry Parris, aged 22, has been sentenced to two years and nine months in prison for his involvement in inciting terrorism.

Parris pleaded guilty to four counts of encouraging terrorism and six counts of possessing documents likely to aid in terrorist activities. His actions included sharing disturbing content online, advocating for the extermination of Jews and other non-white individuals.

During the sentencing at Winchester Crown Court, Judge Jane Miller KC remarked that Parris, diagnosed with ADHD, had fallen prey to extremist ideologies after experiencing isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic. He immersed himself in online communities promoting violent national socialist beliefs, including advocating for the murder of Jewish people and other minority groups.

Parris was actively involved in various Telegram groups dedicated to disseminating neo-Nazi propaganda and inciting violence. He even assumed the role of an administrator for one such channel, where he shared explicitly racist content and encouraged hateful actions against Jews, Christians, black people, Africans, gypsies, and individuals from east Asia. Furthermore, Parris glorified the atrocities committed by Nazis and openly called for the extermination of Jews and gypsies.

Among his reprehensible actions, Parris posted an image of himself performing the Nazi salute and shared offensive slogans. Additionally, he uploaded deeply offensive videos, including one featuring Brenton Tarrant, the perpetrator of the Christchurch mosques massacre in 2019, with a voiceover created by Parris himself.

Detective Chief Superintendent Olly Wright, from Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE), emphasized the severity of Parris' actions, stating that promoting terrorist ideology and possessing bomb-making manuals are grave offenses. Nick Price, head of the CPS special crime and counter-terrorism division, condemned Parris' extreme views, highlighting the danger they pose to public safety. Parris' imprisonment serves as a testament to the commitment of authorities to prosecute individuals engaging in such abhorrent criminal behavior. Photo by Quinn Dombrowski from Berkeley, USA, Wikimedia commons.