A British ISIS supporter who called for jihadis to attack 4-year-old Prince George pleaded guilty to terrorism offenses Thursday, two weeks into his trial in London.
In a surprising turn of events at Woolwich Crown Court, Husnain Rashid, 32, admitted he had carried out a string of terror offenses, including engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts and encouraging terrorism. Rashid had maintained his innocence since his November arrest.
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Rashid wrote online messages encouraging militants to carry out attacks, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) told CNN. Included in those messages was a photo of Prince George, who is third in line to the throne behind his father Prince William, next to a superimposed silhouette of a jihadi fighter.
He also gave the full address of George’s school in southwest London, which he began attending in September, and wrote, “even the royal family will not be left alone.”
Rashid will be sentenced on June 28. All of the offenses relate to his online activities between October 2016 and November 2017, according to the CPS.
Rashid was arrested in November at his home in northwest England and denied all charges relating to encouraging terrorism when his trial began last week. However, he changed his tune Thursday.
“You have admitted these allegations of encouraging others to commit terrorist activities and publishing statements to encourage the killing of others,” Judge Andrew Lees said to Rashid, according to The New York Times. “It is inevitable that you will receive a very lengthy prison sentence and there will be a consideration of a life prison sentence.”
The mosque teacher, whose online alias was “Lone Mujahid” also encouraged violence on British Army bases, soccer stadiums, polling booths, Jewish facilities and the Wimbledon tennis tournament. He also allegedly researched how to go to Syria to join and fight for ISIS and suggested poisoning fruit and ice cream in supermarkets.
The eldest son of Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince George is third in line for the crown behind William and his grandfather, Prince Charles.
This isn’t the first time George’s school, Thomas’s Battersea, has been the subject of suspicious activity. A 40-year-old woman was arrested in September for trying to break into the school. At the time, police said that she was arrested “in the vicinity of the school” and there was no indication that Prince George or any other person at the school was threatened by or the target of the incident.
While at school, Prince George is protected by royal bodyguards, the London police and the school’s special security measures.
