A 17-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism and indecent image offences in east London, leading to his release on conditional bail pending further investigation. Met Counter Terrorism detectives apprehended the teenager under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act at approximately 07:00 on Tuesday, 24 October.
The youth faces charges related to terrorism, specifically the suspicion of collecting material likely to be useful for someone preparing or committing an act of terrorism, as outlined in Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Additionally, he was arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent photographs of a child, violating Section 160 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, and possessing extreme pornographic images, contrary to Section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.
Following his arrest, the teenager was taken into custody at a central-London police station. However, he has since been released on conditional bail, with instructions to return to the police station in mid-November.
Notably, the investigation is linked to Islamist extremism, highlighting the serious nature of the arrest.