Neo-Nazi Luca Benincasa locked up for terror and child sex crimes

The self-styled "UK cell leader" of a banned neo-Nazi group has been locked up for terror offences and possessing indecent images of children.

Luca Benincasa, 20, from Cardiff, was sentenced to nine years and three months at Winchester Crown Court after admitting a range of offences.

He had instructions on bomb making and was a recruiter and "prominent member" of Neo-Nazi group Feuerkrieg Division.

He also downloaded indecent images of children as young as four.

Benincasa, from the Whitchurch area of the city, pleaded guilty to terrorism offences and possession of indecent images of children.

After he was arrested he scrawled satanic and far-right messages on his prison cell, and said on social media: "Told my mum I want to be a terrorist for 2022."

The court heard the Feuerkrieg Division "grew out of" National Action and other banned, far-right groups.

National Action was co-founded by Alex Davies, from Swansea, who was sentenced in June 2022.

Prosecutors said Benincasa was 19 when he committed the offences and was the self-described "UK cell leader" of the Feuerkrieg Division, and "one of its key recruiters".

The Feuerkrieg Division primarily existed online and promoted violence and mass murder in the pursuit of a so-called race war.

Benincasa admitted belonging to the white supremacist group after it was proscribed in July 2020 and four counts of collecting information likely to be useful to a terrorist.

When police searched his bedroom, they found a Nazi dagger and flags, airsoft rifles, tactical clothing and documents on how to make explosives and poisons.

The prosecution said Benincasa had manuals on how to make improvised explosive devices, pipe bombs and plastic explosives.

He became increasingly involved with far-right ideologies during lockdown, which was described by the prosecution, as a "watershed moment".

The court heard he "became increasingly detached", spent a lot of time speaking to "friends in America" and asked his mother to order him an SS flag, which she refused.

The court heard the Feuerkrieg Division group "directly appeals to boys and men who feel they are disempowered".

Benincasa described himself as an "incel", which stands for involuntarily celibate and has been linked to mass-killings in the United States.

He held at least 33 one-to-one conversations with potential recruits, some as young as 14 and the court heard he was "actively recruiting individuals", asking potential recruits to put up five so-called, "propaganda posters" in their area.

In January 2022 Benincasa spoke to a 14-year-old boy called Jurgen from Germany and said: "The minimum age for recruits is 15, sorry. This is a real life group, you know that."

Benincasa's defence barrister said the Feuerkrieg Division was "entirely online without any real world meetings".

Benincasa also previously pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children, including multiple counts of possessing an indecent image of a child and possessing an extreme pornographic image.

The ages of the children in the images were four, five and seven years old.

Benincasa used Google to search for terms such as "rape games", and "child porn T-shirt".

Sentencing, judge Jane Miller KC said: "You see yourself in a high position and the rules do not apply to you. You do present a serious risk of harm to the public."

Benincasa was sentenced to a total of nine years and three months in a young offender institute.