An Ohio man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after he attempted to firebomb a church in March 2023 over the hosting of drag shows at the religious place of worship.
The sentence on the suspect was handed down after he pleaded guilty to the charges of trying to burn down a Chesterland Church. It was a week before the church was set to host two drag show events.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a news release on Tuesday, saying that the suspect, identified as 20-year-old Aimenn D. Penny, pleaded guilty in October last year. This was to one count of violating the Church Arson Prevention Act and one count of using fire and explosives to commit a felony.
As part of the suspect's sentence, he also faces three years of supervised release following his time in prison. In a statement, the assistant attorney general of the DOJ's National Security Division, Matthew G. Olsen, said that the sentence holds Penny accountable for carrying out violence against the Ohio church, as per CNN.
He said that the attempted firebombing was because the suspect disagreed with the way that congregants chose to express their beliefs. Olsen noted that such acts of extremist violence have no place in their communities.
The official added that the DOJ is committed to bringing to justice any individual who would use or threaten violence to prevent their fellow citizens from freely exercising their fundamental rights.
When Penny was arrested, the DOJ said that the suspect used Molotov cocktails to try and burn the Community Church of Chesterland to the ground. He admitted to his cause during an interview with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
During his sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court, the suspect was standing calmly wearing an orange prison jumpsuit. There, he maintained that his attack was a protest against the LGBTQ+ community and drag shows and was an effort to "protect children," according to USA Today.
Protest Against Drag Shows
He added that he does not believe that men should dress as women or that women should dress as men. Penny noted that he was particularly true in a place of worship, arguing that his actions did not hurt anyone.
However, the judge and victims of his crime begged to differ. U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan handed out the defendant's sentence and ordered him to pay $10,507 in restitution to the church. He will also be required to undergo mental health treatment.
Penny was also found to be a member of the extremist groups White Lives Matter Ohio and the Blood Tribe. His attack, which was carried out at around 1:00 a.m. on Mar. 25, 2023, left minimal structural damage.
The chief of the DOJ's civil rights division, Kristen Clarke, said in a statement on Tuesday that they were hoping that Penny's sentence would send a clear and resounding message. This was that this type of hate-fueled attack against a church will not be tolerated in the United States, said the New York Times.
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