A Catholic priest who posed as a teenager in neo-Nazi chatrooms and discussed bombing mosques and shooting Black people as part of what he called a sexual fetish has avoided prison.
Instead, Father Mark Rowles, 57, who went by the name “skinheadlad1488,” was sentenced to a 12-month community order.
Rowles admitted writing offensive messages about Muslims in an extremist Telegram channel called Aryan Reich Killers, including a message where he said “bomb mosques”.
In an expletive-filled message, which included an extreme racial slur, he wrote, “they should all be strung up or shot.” In another exchange discussing the ethnic diversity of London, he said “a few bullets to their brains would help”.
Rowles, who masqueraded online as a teenager, told police he was not racist, claiming his participation in the groups was driven by loneliness and a sexual fetish for role play.
Prosecutor Rob Simkins said the messages demonstrated “hostility based on religion and race”.
Given just 12-months community order
In court, Rowles, of St John Lloyd Catholic church in Cardiff, admitted three counts of sending menacing or offensive messages using the Telegram app in May and June 2024.
Despite the violent rhetoric, Rowles was given a 12-month community order and 150 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £199 in costs and placed under a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order.
Counter-terror detectives identified Rowles after tracing activity on encrypted platforms during an investigation into far-right extremism.
A spokesperson from the Catholic Church in Wales confirmed that Rowles had been suspended since the allegations surfaced. The church will also be carrying out its own review.
Defence lawyer Jacqui Seal described the case as “disturbing”. She added: “Throughout his life in the Catholic Church he has never been the subject of a complaint or disciplinary action. He has no previous convictions.”
The ruling comes as rights organisations and Muslim community advocates continue to voice concern over what they describe as consistently lenient treatment of far-right extremist offences in the UK.
