Willesden Man Jailed for Terrorist Bomb-Making Material and Child Abuse Images
A 21-year-old from Willesden has been locked up after police uncovered a bomb-making guide and a trove of extreme right-wing terrorist content on his phone. The Met’s Counter Terrorism Command led the investigation.
Vitor Dias, born March 4, 2003, was sentenced at the Old Bailey on April 24 to three years in prison. He was also slapped with a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Bomb-Making Guides and Extremist Material Found on Phones
The probe started when the Wembley Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Unit raided Dias’s home on May 17, 2022, during a separate child abuse inquiry. Initially not arrested, officers seized two phones and found disturbing extremist content.
Experts uncovered documents detailing how to build explosives, firearms, and ammunition. Dias was arrested on September 8, 2022, and charged with four counts of possessing documents useful for terrorist purposes under the Terrorism Act 2000. He pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey on August 5, 2024.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said:
“This case shows we will arrest anyone accessing terrorist material. Thanks to the Wembley Child Exploitation unit whose work uncovered Dias’s wider crimes.”
“It also shows how monitoring convicted sexual offenders can reveal further offences.”
Child Abuse Charges Added in Parallel Investigation
Alongside the terror case, a separate investigation by PC Merima Salkovic from the North West BCU JIGSAW team charged Dias with:
- Two counts of possessing extreme pornographic images
- One count of making an indecent photograph of a child (Category B)
- One count of making an indecent photograph of a child (Category C)
He pleaded guilty to the first three at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on December 17, 2024. One charge remains on file.
Dias was already convicted on March 31, 2023, for similar offences and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for five years with an earlier SHPO from the Wembley JIGSAW Unit.
Police Stress Importance of Vigilance and Reporting
The Met Police say Dias’s case highlights the vital teamwork across units tackling threats from terrorism to child exploitation. They urge the public to report anyone suspected of viewing or sharing extremist or abusive material.
If you suspect someone is involved in extremist or abuse content, report it to police online or call 101. For emergencies, always dial 999.
