UK: Man Could Face Three Years in Prison for Using Train Station WiFi to Share Messages Warning of Islamization

Image: Jihad Watch

A 36-year-old IT worker, John Andreas Wik, who hijacked WiFi networks at train stations across the country to post messages about terrorist attacks and a claim that Islam is “taking over Europe,” is now facing jail time.

Wik used his access to the system as an employee of Global Reach, a company responsible for managing web pages for organizations offering free Wi-Fi. He manipulated the network to display information about the Manchester Arena bombing, the London Bridge attack, and terrorist incidents in Paris and Stockholm.

The page he redirected users to carried the message: "We love you, Europe. The Islamisation of Europe is already happening and it’s getting worse each day."

The hack impacted ten train stations in London—Euston, Victoria, King’s Cross, London Bridge, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Liverpool Street, Paddington, Clapham Junction, and Waterloo—on September 25 last year. Other affected stations included Manchester Piccadilly, Birmingham New Street, Glasgow Central, Leeds City, Liverpool Lime Street, Bristol Temple Meads, Edinburgh Waverley, Reading, and Guildford. Prosecutors also claim the hacked pages were found on music venues in Germany and a shopping center in the UK, which Wik denies.

Wik pleaded guilty to distributing threatening written material with the intent to incite religious hatred. He faces up to three years in prison for his actions.

At the hearing, prosecutor Warren Stanier explained that Wik hijacked the Wi-Fi terms and conditions page to post his anti-Islamic message. The page, which was usually a harmless terms and conditions notice, was replaced with a long message filled with images. The message began with a warning that “below is just a SMALL taste of what’s coming,” followed by details of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, including images of the 22 victims who died.

Wik referenced other incidents such as the 7/7 London bombings, the London Bridge attack in which eight people were killed, and the 2015 Bataclan shooting in Paris. He repeatedly emphasized the word “Islamic” and mentioned the 2017 truck attack in Stockholm. The message concluded with the phrase "...and so much more... In the name of Allah."

Prosecutor Stanier stated that the message implied that Europe was being overtaken by Islam, which would lead to further terrorism in both the UK and Europe, and that a large number of people had seen this message.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)