British teenager, 16, killed herself after being charged with terror offences

A British teenager who had been groomed by an American white supremacist killed herself after being charged with terror offences, an investigation has found. 

Rhianan Rudd was groomed and exploited online from the age of 14 by American extremist Christopher Cook. 

White supremacist American Dax Mallaburn also had an influence on the teenager after meeting her mother, Emily Carter, via a pen pal system for US prisoners. 

Rhianan was arrested and later faced criminal charges which were ultimately dropped because of the abuse.

But an investigation found that evidence that Rhianan was being groomed and sexually exploited was handed to MI5 months before she was charged.

Rhianan Rudd was groomed and exploited online from the age of 14 by an American extremist as she found herself lured in to white supremacist views

Ms Carter told the BBC that her daughter should not have been charged.

She said: ‘They should have seen her as a victim rather than a terrorist.

‘She’s a child, an autistic child. She should have been treated as a child that had been groomed and sexually exploited.’

Rhianan was arrested at the age of 14 in October 2020 after downloading a bomb-making manual and being referred to anti-radicalisation scheme Prevent.

She was later charged with various offences in April 2021 and accused of plotting an attack.

Rhianan was groomed and exploited online by American extremist Christopher Cook (left). It was also claimed that she was influenced by her mother’s then-partner Dax Mallaburn, an American white supremacist, although her mother denied this

The charges were dropped several months later in December 2021.

But an investigation by the BBC, revealed in documentary Groomed, Radicalised, Gone, found that MI5 were handed evidence before Rhianan was charged that she had been groomed and exploited – including sexually – by Cook.

The FBI uncovered messages from Cook’s devices showing the abuse. The messages were allegedly handed to MI5.  

Evidence also showed the alleged influence by Mallaburn, although her mother said this information was kept from her. 

Her mother Emily Carter (pictured) told the BBC that her daughter should not have been charged

Speaking of her daughter, Ms Carter (pictured) said: ‘They should have seen her as a victim rather than a terrorist. ‘She’s a child, an autistic child. She should have been treated as a child that had been groomed and sexually exploited’

Before the teenager was arrested, Mallaburn’s relationship with her mother had collapsed and he returned to the US. 

But, according to the BBC, Cook and Mallaburn were in contact, with Cook telling Ms Carter’s former partner to teach Rhianan the ‘right way’.  

After the criminal charges were dropped, Rhianan continued living at a children’s home in Nottinghamshire and again engaged with Prevent staff.

Workers at the home said she was preparing to take her GCSEs.

But in May 2022 she was found dead in her room having apparently taken her own life. She was 16. 

An inquest into her death was opened and adjourned in October and will continue later this year.