--- category: Extremism & Violent Networks created: 2026-05-22 location: Kingston-upon-Thames, South-West London, England 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. tags: - Person - NeoNazi - SonnenkriegDivision - O9A - UK - TerroristConviction - Accelerationism - London updated: 2026-05-22 --- 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](/organizations/counter-terrorism-policing/) investigation into [Fascist Forge](/organizations/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](/organizations/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] ### Offences The 16 counts covered: One count of encouraging terrorism under section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006. One count of disseminating a terrorist publication under section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006. Twelve counts of possessing documents useful to a terrorist under section 58 of the [Terrorism Act 2000](/concepts/terrorism-act-2000/). Two counts of possessing indecent images of children under the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008. Vaughan had designed and uploaded his own propaganda images to a neo-Nazi website promoting the [Sonnenkrieg Division](/organizations/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](/organizations/order-of-nine-angles/) (O9A) philosophy; the prosecution did not cite direct O9A membership. ### Sentencing and Controversy 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](/people/michael-szewczuk/) had received four years and three months and [Oskar Dunn-Koczorowski](/people/oskar-dunn-koczorowski/) had received 18 months, both with immediate custody.[^2] The case occurred at roughly the same time as the sentencing of [Ben John](/people/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. ### Fascist Forge Investigation 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] [^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 [^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/