17-year-old charged with six terrorism offenses in UK

London, Jan 5 (IANS) A UK court has charged a 17-year-old boy with six terrorism offenses.The teenager, from Essex in southeastern England, cannot be named because of his age, reports Xinhua news agency. He appeared via video link before the Westminster Magistrates Court in London on Monday. He is being held on remand to appear at the Old Bailey Central Criminal Court on January 22.He was charged with the six terrorism offenses following an investigation led by Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTP), supported by Eastern Region Special Operations Unit and Essex Police.The CTP said the teen was arrested and detained under the Terrorism Act on December 29, 2020, as part of a pre-planned, intelligence-led operation. Two homes in Chelmsford and Brentwood in Essex were searched in connection with the arrest, the police added.He faces one offense of engaging in the preparation of an act of terrorism, another for disseminating a terrorist publication and four for possessing material likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
--IANS ksk/