48 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
48 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
---
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category: "Extremism & Violent Networks"
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tags:
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- Person
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- NeoNazi
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- SonnenkriegDivision
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- O9A
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- UK
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- TerroristConviction
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- Accelerationism
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- London
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location: "Kingston-upon-Thames, South-West London, England"
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created: 2026-05-22
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updated: 2026-05-22
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summary: "Harry Vaughan was an 18-year-old grammar school student from Kingston-upon-Thames convicted in November 2020 at the Old Bailey of 14 terrorism offences including creating Sonnenkrieg Division propaganda, who received a suspended sentence criticised by counter-extremism researchers."
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---
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Harry Vaughan, 18, of Kingston-upon-Thames, South-West London, was a student at [[Tiffin School]], a selective grammar school, where he had achieved A-grade A-levels in mathematics, further mathematics, physics, and history. He was arrested on 19 June 2019 as part of a [[Counter Terrorism Policing]] investigation into [[Fascist Forge]], an online extremist forum used by far-right militants. He pleaded guilty to 14 terrorism offences and two counts of possessing indecent images. He was sentenced at the [[Old Bailey]] in November 2020 by Mr Justice Sweeney, who described him as "a dangerous offender," to two years' detention suspended for two years.[^1]
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### Offences
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The 16 counts covered:
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One count of encouraging terrorism under section 1 of the [[Terrorism Act 2006]].
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One count of disseminating a terrorist publication under section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006.
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Twelve counts of possessing documents useful to a terrorist under section 58 of the [[Terrorism Act 2000]].
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Two counts of possessing indecent images of children under the [[Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008]].
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Vaughan had designed and uploaded his own propaganda images to a neo-Nazi website promoting the [[Sonnenkrieg Division]] (SKD), which was proscribed in February 2020. The documents on his devices included SKD propaganda of his own creation, bomb-making manuals, and a guide to killing. O9A connections run through SKD's ideological framework, which incorporated [[Order of Nine Angles]] (O9A) philosophy; the prosecution did not cite direct O9A membership.
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### Sentencing and Controversy
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The suspended sentence attracted significant criticism from counter-extremism researchers and journalists, who noted that Mr Justice Sweeney had designated Vaughan a "dangerous offender" while simultaneously declining to impose an immediate custodial term. This perceived inconsistency was particularly noted in the context of earlier SKD cases, in which [[Michael Szewczuk]] had received four years and three months and [[Oskar Dunn-Koczorowski]] had received 18 months, both with immediate custody.[^2]
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The case occurred at roughly the same time as the sentencing of [[Ben John]] at Leicester Crown Court (August 2021), where a similarly controversial suspended sentence was subsequently overturned by the Court of Appeal on unduly lenient reference. Vaughan's sentence was not publicly referred for review under similar procedures.
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### Fascist Forge Investigation
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Counter Terrorism Policing's investigation into Fascist Forge, the platform on which Vaughan had been active, ran in parallel with the arrests of other UK-based users and identified multiple individuals. Vaughan was arrested at his family home.[^1]
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### Footnotes
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[^1]: ITV News London. "Teenage Satanist neo-Nazi avoids jail after admitting 14 terror offences." November 2, 2020. https://www.itv.com/news/london/2020-11-02/teenage-satanist-neo-nazi-harry-vaughan-sentenced-for-terror-offences
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[^2]: Far-Right Criminals. "Harry Vaughan: Neo-Nazi teenager sentenced." November 2, 2020. https://far-rightcriminals.com/2020/11/02/harry-vaughan-neo-nazi-teenager-sentenced/
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