Leigh McMillan

Leigh McMillan, aged 46 and from Milton Keynes, has been identified as a prominent figure within the English Defence League (EDL) and various far-right social media groups. On 26 February 2018, he was sentenced at the Old Bailey to 17 years' imprisonment for a series of child sex offences committed in the mid-1990s. McMillan, who sometimes used the alias 'McMillen' online, groomed his 10-year-old victim with cigarettes and drugs before subjecting her to repeated sexual abuse.

The abuse, which occurred approximately 100 times, took place in locations such as the victim's mother's bed. McMillan warned the schoolgirl, 'You mustn’t tell your mum – she’d be really upset,' to ensure her silence. The victim later described her ordeal as feeling like 'every day was Groundhog Day,' highlighting the repetitive and traumatic nature of the assaults. This case underscores a 'spiral of sexual abuse' that devastated the young girl's life.

Beyond the offences, McMillan's far-right affiliations have drawn significant attention. He was a lead figure in the EDL's 'Lee Rigby' campaign, which exploited the soldier's death to promote hatred. Following his sentencing, fellow far-right activists, including Margate nazi Gary Field, attempted to cover up McMillan's EDL membership to mitigate damage to their cause. Despite this, the EDL proceeded with plans for an anti-Muslim march, ironically accusing Muslims of paedophilia while one of their own was convicted of child sex offences.

The case was reported by HOPE not hate, an organisation dedicated to countering extremism, in their Insider's Blog on 26 February 2018. No specific prosecuting police force is named in the article, but the offences likely fell under the jurisdiction of Thames Valley Police given McMillan's residence in Milton Keynes.