Burlington, Ont. man facing terror charges in connection with incel posts on social media: RCMP

An RCMP patch is seen on the shoulder of an assistant commissioner, in Surrey, B.C., on Friday, April 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Mounties in Ontario say a Burlington man who was already facing charges for allegedly uttering threats on social media in support of the incel ideology is now facing terrorism charges.

The 24-year-old man was charged on April 29 with two counts of uttering threats.

The new charges were brought forward after the Deputy Director of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada and the Assistant Deputy Attorney General told the court that they consent to the start of terrorism proceedings.

"With limited information, the RCMP GTA INSET and Criminal Analyst Section were able to identify and swiftly prevent a threat to public safety," Supt. James Parr said in a release. "I am proud of the effort and ingenuity of our members and grateful for the collaboration with our policing partners in Toronto and Halton regions to advance this investigation."

In the news release Tuesday, the RCMP said that DeAndre Anderson is now facing terrorism charges under the criminal code of Canada.

Anderson is scheduled to make his next court appearance on June 28 in Milton.

The charges have not yet been tested in court.

Police did not provide any details about the alleged threat that was interrupted. Anderson's bail hearing is also covered under a publication ban.

Incel is a term which stands for "involuntary celibate," a fringe subculture of men who express hostility toward others who they blame for their lack of sexual or romantic partners.

Incel ideology has been linked to a number of terrorist incidents in the past in the GTA, including the deadly 2018 Toronto van attack, which left 11 people dead, and the 2020 murder of a Toronto massage parlour employee.

Experts have said the threat from the ideology has been growing rather than declining.