Mohammed Adil, 26, of Bradford, was sentenced on Tuesday to an 18-month community order and 160 hours of unpaid work. Adil pleaded guilty at the Westminster Magistrates Court on May 2 to two charges of publishing images that gave reasonable suspicion he was supporting Hamas, an official designated terrorist group banned from operating in the UK, police documents show.
Adil was an active police officer with the West Yorkshire Police Department when the offenses were committed in October and November 2023. He served in Calderdale and has been suspended from the department. His police colleagues reported Adil to department leadership after he posted the images on WhatsApp. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an investigation and referred the case to the Crown Prosecution Services (CPS) for charges, police said.
Head of the CPS's Counter Terrorism Division, Bethan David, said: "Mohammed Adil understood that in sharing the images he did, it would arouse suspicion that he was showing support for a terrorist organization."
"The CPS will not hesitate to work with the IOPC and police to prosecute these offenses, regardless of the perpetrator's position," said David.
The 18-month community order comes with the following conditions: Up to 35 days of rehabilitation activity requirement, 160 hours of unpaid work, forfeiture or destruction of phone, 85 euro costs, and 114 euro victim surcharge to be paid within 28 days.
Authorities said the investigation looked into Adil's search, message, and image history over several years, dating back to before he joined the department.
"Supporting and glorifying acts of terrorism, and the groups engaged in them, helps to further terrorist objectives by extending their reach and influence. We will always seek to prosecute those responsible, irrespective of their occupation or background," said Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley of the Counter Terrorism Division in a press release.
"This is particularly important when those involved occupy positions of trust. There is no place for such deeply offensive views anywhere in our society, and particularly policing. I commend the police officers that reported ADIL which led to this sentence," he said. "It also denied the opportunity for violent profiles and agendas to be increased."
