British video-streamer jailed for four years after inciting racial hatred online

December 8, 2021 by JNS
Read on for article

A British video-streamer was sentenced last week to four years in jail after pleading guilty to seven counts of inciting racial hatred.

Richard Hesketh. Source: Screenshot

Richard Hesketh, 36, posted 4,000 videos that promote anti-Jewish conspiracy theories, celebrate neo-Nazi terrorism and encourage violence against Jews, reported the Daily Mail.

During his Dec. 3 sentencing at Manchester Crown Court for videos posted between 2018 and 2020, Justice Ian Dove told him: “You peddled ancient tropes and slander against Jewish people. There is a clearly extreme quality to the racism and hostility in the material you authored, performed and broadcast.”

Hesketh filmed the videos in a spare bedroom of his home in Middleton, Manchester. In one video, he shows a violent attack on a Jewish person, noting he was disappointed that the victim was not killed. In another clip, he dresses as a parody Jew and completes the look with a large prosthetic nose.

Counter-terrorism police investigated Hesketh’s online activity after being given evidence by the Community Security Trust. When officers searched Hesketh’s home they reportedly found mobile phones and sim cards that contained antisemitic imagery, information on conspiracy theories and videos.

“In [a] police interview, Hesketh showed no remorse and even continued to upload offensive material to his social media channels after he was released under investigation,” saidDetective Superintendent Will Chatterton of Counter-Terrorism Policing North West. “Peddling this mindset across the internet is dangerous and at the same time incredibly upsetting to our communities.”

He added, “I am pleased that Hesketh will no longer be able to continue his campaign of abuse and I really do hope that his time in prison is spent reflecting upon his appalling behaviour.”

JNS

Speak Your Mind

Comments received without a full name will not be considered
Email addresses are NEVER published! All comments are moderated. J-Wire will publish considered comments by people who provide a real name and email address. Comments that are abusive, rude, defamatory or which contain offensive language will not be published

Got something to say about this?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.