McKenzie Morgan, 18, of Cwmbran, has been sentenced to 14 months at the Young Offenders Institution today, 16th January 2026 at the Central Criminal Court for the offence of possessing information that could be useful to a person committing or preparing for an act of Terrorism, contrary to Section 58 of the Terrorism Act, 2000.
McKenzie Morgan pleaded guilty to the offence at Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday 21 June 2025, following an investigation led by Counter Terrorism Policing Wales and along with his 14-month sentence has been given a Criminal Behaviour Order for 3 years and a Terrorist Offender Notification Order for 10 years.
The 18-year-old, then 17, previously engaged in various online discussions with other teenagers, stating he wanted to carry out a terrorist-style attack similar to that of the perpetrator of the events in Southport in July 2024.
Counter Terrorism Policing Wales, along with Gwent Police colleagues, and the Crown Prosecution Service, recovered evidence that indicated Mckenzie Morgan had researched attack locations online, which included a local dance school within the Cwmbran area. Whilst there was no evidence of a terrorist ideology, the defendant’s possession of the Al Qaeda Training Manual along with his violent thoughts posed a serious risk to public safety.
Detective Superintendent Andrew Williams, Counter Terrorism Policing Wales, said:
“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.
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.
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.
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, 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.”
