South Park Detractor Sent to Prison

The man who threatened violent action against the creators of South Park for their depiction of Muhammad last year has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. The 21-year-old Virginia man, Zachary Chesser, posted a photo of slain Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh to the radical webiste RevolutionMuslim.com, and suggested that South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker might soon suffer the same fate. A few months later, the FBI arrested Chesser after he openly informed federal agents of his plans to fly overseas and join an Islamic militant group.

He was charged with providing material support to terrorists, including detailed instructions on how to support the jihad in Somalia, as well as communicating threats and inciting others to commit violence. Chesser posted messages on Revolution Muslim that contained Parker’s and Stone’s home addresses and invited readers to “pay them a visit.”

“His actions caused people throughout the country to fear speaking out—even in jest—to avoid being labeled as enemies who deserved to be killed," U.S. Attorney Neil MacBride said in a statement. “The fact that a young man from Northern Virginia could support such violence and terror is a sobering reminder of the serious threat that homegrown jihadists pose to this country.” So, complain about the shows you dislike all you want…just maybe don’t tell the internet you’re thinking of killing somebody.

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