Christian veteran Michael Cassidy, who beheaded a satanic altarpiece in Iowa's capital city over the holidays, has been charged with a hate crime.
The Baphomet Altar was installed by The Satanic Temple with approval from the Iowa Legislature. It featured a goat's head on a red-hooded mannequin bearing a crimson five-pointed wreath.
The display sparked widespread controversy, with some arguing that approval of the shrine was crucial to religious freedom, and others arguing that it was a deliberate move to torture Christians — especially since it was placed near the Grotto of the Nativity.
On December 14, Cassidy tore off the head and threw it in the trash.
Cassidy was charged with a fourth-degree misdemeanor the next day.
Speaking to The Sentinel shortly after the beheading, Cassidy said he beheaded the statue in order to “awaken Christians to the anti-Christian actions being promoted by our government.”
“The world may demand that Christians submit to Satan’s legitimacy, but none of the founders considered government approval of satanic altars inside the Capitol buildings to be protected by the First Amendment,” Cassidy said. “Anti-Christian values have been increasingly mainstreamed in recent decades, and Christians have largely behaved like a frog in a pot of boiling water.”
broke down: @RepubSentinel It can be revealed that Michael Cassidy, a Christian and former military officer, demolished and beheaded the Altar of Satan in the Iowa State Capitol: https://t.co/rIYIdZOzee pic.twitter.com/tZDsmKM5Pm
– The Sentinel (@RepubSentinel) December 14, 2023
“I saw this blasphemous statue and I was outraged,” Cassidy continued. “My conscience is captive to the Word of God, not to bureaucratic orders. And that's how I acted.
Cassidy turned himself in to the police after the shrine was destroyed. The Satanic Temple in Iowa has confirmed they intend to press charges, The Sentinel reported.
Polk County prosecutors have now added a more serious charge, according to a charging document unsealed Tuesday and obtained by the Des Moines Register.
Cassidy is now charged with a third-degree felony count of “violation of individual rights” under Iowa’s hate crimes law, the Register reports.
“The evidence shows that the defendant made statements to law enforcement and the public indicating that he destroyed property because of the victim’s religion,” Len Hicks, a spokesman for the Polk County Prosecutor’s Office, told the newspaper.
We have raised the initial $20,000 needed for this @Vote Cassidy Legal defense for him in less than three hours. Thank you for your generosity! We will reopen the campaign if more funds are needed. https://t.co/FKeNhUXkTQ
– The Sentinel (@RepubSentinel) December 15, 2023
“Court records show Cassidy is scheduled to be arraigned on February 15. He has raised more than $84,000 for his legal defense from nearly 2,000 supporters, according to fundraising site GiveSendGo,” the report added.
