SpindriftA man who claimed he would make the 9/11 attacks “look like an episode of the Teletubbies” has been given a life sentence.
Curtis Ross had a fascination with Unabomber Ted Kaczynski – the lone wolf terrorist who killed three Americans and injured many others over nearly 20 years.
The 24-year-old was arrested after posting online a clip of him blowing up two gas canisters near the River Leven in Methil, Fife.
Ross’ home was raided and police discovered a drawing marked “Project Payback”.
A phone and tablet device were also examined, which included the voice message about the 2001 Twin Towers atrocity and him discussing with others “murdering all the people who wronged you”.
Ross was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on Friday.
He pled guilty last July to a charge of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner.
This included sending the messages and voice notes on Snapchat and Facebook, causing an explosion, filming it and putting the footage on social media between June 25 and July 31, 2024.
He had a not guilty plea to a separate charge under the Terrorism Act accepted.
Sentencing had been delayed a number of times for a full risk assessment to be carried out.
Lord Colbeck made Ross subject to an order of lifelong restriction (OLR) with a minimum prison sentence of 12 months.
The OLR means that Ross – who has spent 19 months on remand – will be under a period of supervision for life upon his release which will be determined by the parole board.
The judge said: “The present offence demonstrates a marked escalation in your offending behaviour.
“The serious nature of the behaviour made the court obtain a report which demonstrates a propensity of causing serious harm and are a high risk to the public. You have characteristics which are invasive and pervasive.
“You have a concerning attitude and opinions which if left untreated can result in extreme serious offending.
“It is necessary to impose an order for lifelong restriction as there are no measures short of this which would be sufficient to minimise the risk of serious harm to others.”
The court previously heard how a Facebook friend of Ross had spotted the explosion video in late July 2024. He showed it to a young woman who was so “alarmed” she contacted police.
Ross was held that day after being spotted in Methil.
Detectives – along with Counter Terrorism officers – searched his home.
They found the “Project Payback” drawing along with a sketch of what was described as a “homemade explosive device”.
Inside a desk were various items, including a roll of wire, mobile phone batteries, nails, screws and a watch.
There were also initial fears about a package in the property, which led to homes in the area being evacuated, but it did not contain an explosive.
Prosecutor Greg Farrell said Ross “laughed” when first questioned about what he had filmed, claiming it was an “attempt at satire comedy”.
But, he confirmed that he had blown up two butane gas canisters and had posted it on his Facebook page under the name of a Batman comic villain.
“He made reference to social media corrupting his decisions,” Mr Farrell said.
Ross was asked about his interest in Kaczynski – captured in 1996 – and said he was “apparently some kind of mail bomber” that he had learned more about by going down a “rabbit hole” online.
Ross went on to insist that he himself was “not a terrorist” as he had “made peace with everything in his life”.
But, police found a series of concerning messages during checks of his phone and tablet.
In late June 2024, he wrote to 15 users on Facebook Messenger: “Here guys, I am just here to inform you that the only thing stopping you from murdering all of the people who wronged you is just a box.
“That is only if you cannot do it correctly and make sure enough evidence is gone so that the charges do not stick.”
He referred to “instructions on how to make a pipe bomb”, adding: “Hope this comes in handy for you one day x.”
In messages on the day of the River Leven explosion, a social media contact called Ross “a v.dangerous human”.
Mr Farrell told the court of a Snapchat conversation with a friend shortly before.
Ross stated at one stage: “I am going to make 9/11 look like an episode of the Teletubbies, f*** sake.”
He then backtracked again claiming it was “satire comedy” and that he was “only joking”.
The friend replied: “F*** Islam, f*** them all.”
During further rants, Ross said he had been let down by the “justice system” complaining he had been treated differently because he is a man.
In messages to another contact, he said: “I have realised that I simply cannot allow what is happening to humanity and our world to continue.
“I can and will have an impact on preventing the worst from happening xx.”
The court heard there were also photos, videos and sketches of the Unabomber on the devices as well as images of a pipe bomb and firearms together with “various other clips which suggest violence”.
While on remand for this offence, Ross was found with information on the Oklahoma Bomber who killed 168 people and injured 800 in 1995.
Iain Duguid KC, defending, told the court that his client his “no plans to return to social media.”
The advocate said Ross has interests which are “more extreme than his actions have presented”.
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
