Jihadi John’s identity exposed by his online activity

Mohammed Emwazi, the Islamic State extremist better known by his alias “Jihadi John,” became one of the most wanted men in the world after his computer activity exposed his identity.

The identity of the notorious masked jihadist, who has “starred” in a series of gruesome execution videos, was subject to speculation until he used his student ID number — he had at one time studied at the University of Westminster — to download free software from a laptop in Syria, the Sunday Express reported on Sunday.

The identification number revealed Emwazi’s date of birth and information about his studies and student loans, allowing authorities to figure out the jihadist’s identity.

“In today’s electronic age of social media and technology, we chase the digital footprint before we chase the person,” an intelligence source was quoted as saying. “Anyone who has a credit card, a Facebook page or a national insurance number has a digital footprint… The same goes for a student number; these records are unique to that person.

“We are forced to work within a strictly managed set of protocols, while those who would wish to do us harm operate freely,” the source said.

Emwazi, a 26-year-old west London resident who emigrated to the UK from his native Kuwait when he was 6, first gained infamy after he beheaded American journalist James Foley in August of last year.

The Islamic State later produced a series of videos featuring Emwazi beheading American-Israeli journalist Steven Sotloff and a number of other westerners, while threatening world leaders — in perfect English — behind a black mask and an unmistakable London accent.

While Emwazi has been a high-value target for security agencies, he has successfully evaded coalition airstrikes by constantly changing his location with his security detail, making it incredibly difficult to pinpoint.

Coalition forces are broadcasting messages via radio and television in order to convince area inhabitants to reveal the location of top jihadist figures such as Emwazi and Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Prior to joining the extremist group, Emwazi was considered a model student at the University of Westminster, where he studied information systems and business management from 2006 to 2009. Records indicate that he was two modules short of obtaining his degree.