Neo-Nazi satanist jailed for six years for encouraging girls to kill themselves and possessing terror material

16 January 2025, 21:29 | Updated: 16 January 2025, 21:31

A neo-Nazi satanist has been jailed for six years for encouraging girls to kill themselves and self-harm.

Cameron Finnigan, 19, joined a satanic extremist group known as 764 in late 2023 and told one girl to hang herself "for me" on video so he could share it in the group's online chat, the Old Bailey heard.

He was arrested in March 2024 and pleaded guilty to five charges: encouraging suicide online, possessing a document for terrorist purposes, having indecent images of children and two counts of criminal damage.

He appeared before Mr Justice Jay at the Old Bailey on Thursday where he was handed a sentence of six years in jail with an extended license period of three years.

Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC said Finnigan, who was said to be autistic and lived with his adoptive mother, father and biological sister in Horsham, West Sussex, became involved with 764 in October or November 2023.

The group has links to the Order of Nine Angles, a Nazi occultist group linked to a string of prosecutions.

Both groups encourage increasing violence building up to potential mass casualty events, the court heard.

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Footage of the arrest and police interview with Cameron Finnigan

Finnigan communicated with other 764 members on Telegram, Discord and Snapchat.

One of his usernames was ACID and he used a Pin code of 1969, the date the Satanic Bible was first published.

He chatted to an individual believed to be a young girl who told him she was considering suicide.

Finnigan encouraged her to hang herself using a rope and wanted her to stream it online so he could claim it for 764, the court was told.

The judge also heard that the 764 Telegram chat had referred to "Terror Week" and "Terror Season", a period between March 11 and 19, 2024 in which members were encouraged to commit crimes.

Finnigan told the group he would kill a homeless person he had identified living in a tent near his home.

Police never found evidence of an attempt to kill the victim, but a picture of the tent was found in the chat alongside a message from the defendant that said "I'm waiting".

Finnigan also accessed an 11-page terrorist document which provided advice on how to carry out "truck attacks", giving instructions on the type of vehicle and ideal targets.

He was arrested last March on suspicion of threats to kill and possession of a firearm.

The court was told that despite claims made to 764 members online, there was no evidence that he ever had a gun.

Searches of his home address revealed a large tapestry of the "Satanic Beast" in his bedroom, knives, swastikas, and pentagrams associated with satanism.

A punchbag with a number of slash and stab marks was found outside his bedroom, the court was told.

Indecent images of children were found on his electronic devices as well as material bearing the 764 logo depicting murder, mutilation, rape and interference with a foetus.

The defendant had filmed himself carving words on to a car bonnet and puncturing the tyres with a large kitchen knife.

When asked during a police interview about encouraging the girl to kill herself, Finnigan said his only concern was "if she went through with it and I got caught".

When asked if he would have been concerned about "whether she was dead or not", he responded: "I don't think about stuff in that moment."

The court also heard that he told police he felt "pretty confident that (she) would not commit suicide".

Sentencing, Mr Justice Jay shared a psychological report which diagnosed Finnigan with a number of mental health issues but added they did not believe he exhibited core features of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).

The judge concluded by telling Finnigan: "In addition to your ideological commitment to satanism and the thrill your participation in 764 gave you, it is clear that you had access to at least one knife, that you had in your possession a copy of a guide or manual which contained guidance on truck attacks and mass casualty targets, that you have a reported history of setting fires and an obsession with sharp objects, that you self-identified as a high-level extorter, that you sought to exploit a vulnerable young woman whose actions were unpredictable, and that you attacked the ... vehicle without caring about the consequences.

He added: "According to the pre-sentence report, the risk you pose is both indiscriminate and unpredictable, and I agree with that assessment.

"I also wholly endorse the overarching assessment that you pose a high risk of serious harm to the public, including children."

If you or someone you know are feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal, call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK.