(NewsReady.com) – Antisemitic attacks and incidents have risen drastically across the world in the wake of the terrorist attack and subsequent war in Israel. America is also seeing an increase in antisemitism. A child in Ohio has now been sentenced for planning an attack on Jewish people in September.
On September 7, the FBI alerted the Stark County Sheriff’s Office to a series of Discord posts that threatened Jewish people. According to NPR, the posts were originally made on September 1 and included a plot to “shoot up” or burn down the Temple Israel in Canton. The posts were reportedly made by a 13-year-old, and he included maps of the synagogue that had allegedly been drawn by him and another person in Washington state.
Law enforcement officers confronted the teen, and he admitted that he was part of multiple antisemitic and political groups on Discord. Authorities arrested him and charged him with disorderly conduct and inducing panic.
Stark County Sheriff George Maier said that his office has a “zero-tolerance policy when it comes to threats made against our community.” He assured the community that all threats were thoroughly investigated.
On December 15, the teen pleaded “true” (juvenile court’s equivalence to guilty) in court. Stark County Family Court Judge Jim James sentenced the child to 90 days at the Multi-County Juvenile Attention Center and one year of probation. However, he suspended the jail sentence. The following conditions are imposed on the teen:
- He must read a book by Swiss diplomat Carl Lutz, who saved more than 62,000 Jews during the Holocaust. He must then write a book report on it and submit it to juvenile detention.
- The teen isn’t allowed to use the internet without supervision.
- He is also required to undergo counseling.
Cleveland Anti-Defamation League Executive Director Kelly Fishman spoke to 3News about the arrest and blamed antisemitism online as part of the problem. The child’s family agreed and said he was influenced by others online.
Copyright 2023, NewsReady.com
