Stephen Gray appeals conviction over offensive social media posts

Stephen Gray, a 65-year-old retired Cleveland police officer, has been convicted of making grossly offensive posts on Facebook under Section 127(1)(a) of the Communications Act 2003. The conviction stems from Gray resharing two posts that were critical of Islam.

The first post featured an image of a Middle Eastern man with a caption regarding a 12-year-old migrant in Dover. While a district judge ruled this specific post was not grossly offensive and related to political debate, a second post—depicting a man in a turban alongside bacon with a caption regarding marriage ages—resulted in the conviction.

Gray, who served nearly 30 years in the police force, has expressed concerns that the ruling represents a return of blasphemy laws through the back door, despite their formal abolition in the UK nearly 20 years ago. Supported by the Free Speech Union, Gray is appealing the conviction, with the hearing scheduled for November.