Teen prosecuted for inciting racial hatred in YouTube videos

A teenager has pleaded guilty to two charges of inciting racial hatred which arose from videos he published on YouTube, the Crown Prosecution Service has said this is the first case of its kind in England and Wales.

The 17-year-old was only 15 when he posted the videos which preach on white supremacist values, he also set up a website on the same basis.

This is thought to be the first time the CPS has prosecuted someone this young in England or Wales for incitement to racial hatred after posting racially inflammatory material on a social networking site.

CPS lawyer, Viv Goddard, said: “Young people need to realise that it is not a joke to post hate filled material on video sharing websites or sites they set up themselves. The material in this case was not just offensive but highly disturbing in its violence and imagery, particularly one clip which showed a Black man being hanged by the Ku Klux Khan then his leg being hacked off and thrown into a fire.

“People are entitled to hold racist and extreme opinions which others may find offensive and obnoxious. What they are not entitled to do is to publish or distribute those opinions to the public in a threatening, abusive or insulting manner either intending to stir up racial hatred or in circumstances where it is likely racial hatred will be stirred up.”

Mrs Goddard said it was difficult for the youth to deny responsibility as he had either filmed himself expressing racist opinions or had supplied his own comments as a voice over.

She said: “To put this in context, on his own website, he insisted that those who wanted to view his site had to sign up to the following statements before they were allowed access.”

These statements were:

· I do swear and verify that I am of the white race
· I am not addicted to or a user of illegal drugs
· I am not or have never been a follower of the Jewish religion
· I believe in the segregation of the races and I have never engaged in an inter-racial relationship
· I believe in and will defend my Country, Homeland and its Constitution and laws.

Mrs Goddard said that the case should act as a warning to other young people not to put such comments on any public forum.

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