Man 'on hate speech top 10 list'

A MAN from Plymouth who stirred up racial hatred and bragged about being “on the hate speech top 10 list” has avoided prison time.

- By SHANNON BROWN

Dean Podesta, 35, previously admitted one count of inciting racial hatred and another of inciting hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation and handed a suspended sentence.

Podesta, of Teats Hill Flats, Coxside, was arrested in July 2022 after an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing South West (CTPSW) in collaboration with Devon and Cornwall Police. Members of the public reported his online activity to police on a number of occasions.

Over the course of six months in 2022, Podesta posted threatening, abusive and insulting content online more than 330 times. The posts, described by police as “abhorrent”, had a negative impact on a wide group of people. Podesta bragged about being “on the hate speech top 10 list” and claimed he wanted to make the number one position.