A young Sainsbury’s shop assistant from High Wycombe is facing jail for sharing ISIS propaganda on WhatsApp.
Iftikhar Ali was aged 18 and living at home with his parents when he sent ISIS material on his mobile phone.
He denied 12 counts of disseminating a terrorist document, and one of possessing a document likely to be useful to a person committing an act of terrorism.
But following a trial at the Old Bailey, Ali, now 19, was found guilty of all the charges.
Examination of his mobile phone revealed Ali had an avid interest in ISIS with material including images of executions.
Prosecutor Mark Paltenghi said Ali’s offences spanned six months between 8 September 2015 and his arrest.
He said: “It is the Crown’s case that although he was young, he had already become a radicalised proponent and supporter of extreme Islamism.”
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Detective Chief Superintendent Kath Barnes, head of Counter Terrorism Policing South East, said: “It is clear from the evidence that has been presented that Ali had displayed support for Islamist ideology and used WhatsApp to spread propaganda which clearly encourages others to commit terrorist acts.
“Today’s conviction sends out a strong message that actions such as those carried out by Ali will not be tolerated and Counter Terrorism Policing, including officers and staff in the South East, will continue to identify those responsible for sharing this kind of content, gather evidence and bring them before the courts, so that they may face justice.”
