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Football

15th Sep 2021

21-year-old man charged after Chelsea FC reported offensive messages

Reuben Pinder

He will appear in court in October

A 21-year-old man has been charged by police after Chelsea Football Club reported allegedly anti-semitic and racist tweets sent over a 12-month period.

The Met Police’s statement read:

“A man has been charged after a Met Police investigation into racist, anti-semitic and hateful tweets posted in late 2020, that were identified by Chelsea FC.

“Nathan Blagg, 21, of Retford, Nottinghamshire, has been charged with seven counts of sending by public communication network an offensive/indecent/obscene/menacing message/matter, contrary to the Malicious Communications Act.”

He was arrested back in February 2021 by members of the Metropolitan Police Central Football Unit and has today been charged (September 15).

The offensive messages are alleged to have been sent between February 2020 and February 2021.

When the arrest took place in February, Chelsea had said: “We welcome today’s arrest which shows that hateful messages shared on social media do have consequences.

“We continue to work closely with the police to support their investigations on this important issue.”

Inspector Matt Ashmead from the Met Police’s Central Football Unit said at the time: “This action proves that the internet is no safe refuge for trolls to target people with hateful, offensive or racist abuse.

“Online abuse is not victimless and we will look to identify those responsible and take action.”

Blagg will appear in Westminster Magistrates’ Court on October 8.

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