Steven James Perkinson, 21, of Plainfield, Ind., was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison on Tuesday for vandalizing a local Baptist church, followed by three years of supervised release.
Perkinson had pleaded guilty to intentionally damaging religious property and making false statements to federal investigators, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
On Nov. 18, 2024, Perkinson defaced a sign outside Maple Grove Baptist Church, spray-painting symbols including a pitchfork and the number “666,” and crossing out the sign’s Christian cross.
“Targeting any house of worship is an attack on the fundamental freedoms that define our nation,” the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana stated.
Authorities said he first came to the FBI’s attention in 2023 after posting on Instagram, “Now I just sit alone in my room for hours a day. … Schools are meant for shooting up, not learning.”
Investigators also found online searches for the “address of the largest Jewish church in America,” messages claiming access to firearms and encouraging mass violence, photos of Perkinson posing with recently deceased animals and evidence of setting fire to a dumpster.
When first questioned, Perkinson denied involvement. After agents examined his cell phone, he admitted to participating in “various Satanic groups” and targeting the church sign “because it belonged to a Christian church.”
“Targeting any house of worship because of its faith is an attack on the fundamental freedoms that define our nation,” stated Tom Wheeler, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “This defendant’s conduct, paired with his disturbing online activity, posed a real threat to those liberties.”
“This sentence makes clear that hate‑fueled vandalism and threats of violence will be met with swift and serious federal consequences,” he added.
