Cwmbran teen jailed for possessing terrorist material

An 18-year-old from Cwmbran has been sentenced to 14 months in a young offenders institution after admitting he possessed information that could be useful for committing acts of terrorism.

McKenzie Morgan pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday 21 June 2025 to the offence under Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Alongside his custodial sentence, he received a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order and a 10-year Terrorist Offender Notification Order.

The court heard how Morgan, who was 17 at the time of the offence, engaged in online discussions with other teenagers where he expressed his desire to carry out an attack similar to the Southport incident in July 2024. Counter Terrorism Policing Wales, working alongside Gwent Police and the Crown Prosecution Service, discovered that Morgan had researched potential attack locations online, including a dance school in the Cwmbran area.

Investigators found Morgan had possessed the Al Qaeda Training Manual, and whilst there was no evidence of a specific terrorist ideology, authorities determined his violent thoughts combined with this material posed a serious risk to public safety.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Williams from Counter Terrorism Policing Wales delivered a powerful statement following the sentencing: “Mr Morgan was not born bad. He didn’t come into the world wanting to be a terrorist or aspiring to one day kill people, let alone children. As a teenager himself when he committed the offence, he was vulnerable to the malign influences that pray on our young people in today’s online world.”

He continued: “The fact that he was heavily influenced by the perpetrator of one of the most horrific attacks this country has seen in recent times, is a terrifying indictment of the abhorrent commentary, hateful opinion and violent imagery that too many of our young people are exposed to via the myriad of online sites, chat forums, and gaming and social media platforms.”

Speaking about the challenges facing parents, Det Supt Williams added: “As a dad, I know firsthand that parents are under a lot of pressure, and monitoring what our kids are doing online is not easy. But it’s not about invading their privacy, or the modern-day equivalent of reading their diary, diaries were not gateways for predators to exploit. It is about us keeping them safe from harm.”

He emphasised: “I didn’t become a police officer to put teenagers in prison, it’s not something I want to be doing. But if they can access dangerous, highly addictive, and influential content, there is a very clear risk that it will destroy their young lives before they’ve really begun. Whilst I am hugely thankful to my team for halting a potential attack on young innocent lives; there are no winners today, just a sense of sadness that highlights the need for us as a society to grip this issue and finally stop our young people being exploited in this way.”

Deputy Chief Constable Nicky Brain from Gwent Police said: “Our officers have worked closely to support Counter Terrorism Policing Wales with their investigation which has now concluded with this sentence. We understand that offences such as these can have a huge impact on our residents especially around their sense of safety and security within the community. Investigations of this nature are exceptionally rare in Gwent but should you have concerns then trust your instincts and please do not hesitate to report any issues to Gwent Police or Counter Terrorism Policing.”