Posted by
Gabrielle Cusumano on Thursday, July 24, 2008 10:02:45 PM
A schoolboy aged 12 has been identified as an al-Qaeda inspired extremist after sending beheading videos to his classmates, police have disclosed.
Anti-terrorism chiefs have said the example revealed how violent extremism is spreading “like a virus infecting young minds”.
The blond, white schoolboy from West Yorkshire is among 120 people being dealt with by police in a new anti-terrorism scheme targeting al-Qa’eda inspired youths.
He has been identified only by the initials BC and was reported by his school after he was found circulating video clips of terrorists beheading Westerners.
Sir Norman Bettison, Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, said: "That was bad enough, but he also has an unnatural interest in guns and weapons.
“He spoke openly of his wish to be a sniper and spoke of his curiosity of what it would be like to kill someone.”
Sir Norman described him as an “angelic looking boy” whose police mugshot showed a fair-haired child so short that his head was barely in the frame of the camera.
“He is at risk of being a violent young man and a threat to society,” the chief constable said.
“He is not a Muslim. He is not driven by ideology – he is too young to spell the word.
“But he is being influenced and intoxicated by the imagery and appeal of Jihadist and other internet violence.”