A Catholic priest who posed as a 16-year-old skinhead in neo-Nazi chatrooms where he threatened to bomb mosques as part of his ‘sexual fetish’ has avoided jail.
Father Mark Rowles, 57, posted under the name ‘skinheadlad1488’ in a racist chatroom called Aryan Reich Killers, where he wrote racist and offensive messages.
Rowles wrote several messages on Telegram, including one where he penned ‘bomb mosques’.
The priest, who was based in St John Lloyd Catholic Church, in Cardiff, confessed to three counts of sending menacing or offensive messages using the Telegram app in May and June of 2024.
On Thursday, Rowles was ordered to pay £199, carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, and was handed a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order.
The Catholic Church in Wales is understood to be undertaking a review into the matter, as a spokesperson confirmed the priest had been suspended and had not been in active ministry since the allegations emerged.
A counter-terror probe into extreme right-wing activity online unearthed the 57-year-old’s actions, and he was later taken into custody.
In one message, he used an extreme racial slur, adding: ‘They should all be strung up and shot.’
Father Mark Rowles, 57, posted under the name ‘skinheadlad1488’ in a racist chatroom called Aryan Reich Killers, where he wrote racist and offensive messages
Now, the priest who posed as a 16-year-old skinhead in neo-Nazi chatrooms where he threatened to bomb mosques as part of his ‘sexual fetish’ has avoided jail
And when discussing the ethnicity of Londoners, he wrote: ‘A few bullets to their brains would help’
When he was arrested and interviewed by police, Rowles told officers he was not racist, but that he said he was lonely and had a ‘sexual fetish for role play’.
His profile picture showed a young white man with a face covering with a German flag and the words ‘right hand path always’, the court heard.
Prosecutor Rob Simkins said Rowles’ posts showed ‘hostility based on religion and race’.
Jacqui Seal, defending, said: ‘Clearly this is a disturbing case. Throughout his life in the Catholic Church he has never been the subject of a complaint or disciplinary action.
‘He has no previous convictions.’
