A 19-year-old from east London is standing trial for allegedly experimenting with homemade bomb components in his bedroom while spreading extreme right-wing terrorist content online, with the court hearing he was a 'big fan of Hitler'.
Extreme ideology and online activity
Rex Clark, who was between 17 and 18 at the time of the alleged offences, shared his 'extreme right-wing interests' with his girlfriend Sofija Vinogradova, according to prosecutor Louis Mably KC. The prosecution told jurors at Kingston Crown Court that the pair would 'discuss their ideology and ideas, spurring each other on'.
Clark allegedly spread terrorist materials online that glorified right-wing killers Anders Breivik, Brenton Tarrant and Stephan Balliet. Among the content he shared was a video titled 'St Breivik Edit' about the Norwegian mass murderer who killed 77 people in 2011, and another featuring white supremacist Brenton Tarrant, responsible for the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks that left 51 dead.
Bomb experiments and firearm attempts
Police arrested Clark on August 10 last year after discovering what appeared to be pieces of improvised explosive devices in his bedroom. Prosecutor Mably clarified that while the components contained no actual explosive material and weren't capable of detonation, they indicated the defendant had been 'experimenting with homemade bombs and devices'.
Between June 1 2024 and August 10 2024, Clark and Vinogradova also attempted to purchase a Glock self-loading handgun, though the prosecution noted the seller they contacted never actually had a firearm to sell. There is no suggestion Clark planned to use the gun for terrorist purposes, the court heard.
Legal boundaries and public risk
Mr Mably explained to jurors that while 'it is not a crime to be a neo-Nazi, or to believe in extreme ideologies', Clark crossed into criminal territory by disseminating content that could encourage others to commit acts of terrorism. 'He promoted and glorified mass killings of innocent people,' the prosecutor stated, adding that such material could inspire others 'to take up that idea and actually carry out violence'.
The prosecutor described Clark as an 'avid internet user' who typically operated 'behind keyboards, talking rubbish', but emphasised the danger such online activity poses when it glorifies real-world violence.
Clark denies one count of attempting to purchase a firearm and six counts of dissemination of terrorist publications between October 2023 and summer 2024. The trial continues at Kingston Crown Court.
