Satanist Gets Just 10 Months for Defacing Indiana Baptist Church With 666 and Demonic Symbols

Indiana Satanist Sentenced to 10 Months in Federal Prison for Vandalizing Baptist Church With 666 and Pitchfork Graffiti

Steven James Perkinson, a 21 year old from Plainfield, Indiana, has been sentenced to 10 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for vandalizing Maple Grove Baptist Church with Satanic imagery.

On November 18, 2024, Perkinson spray painted a pitchfork symbol and the numbers "666" on the church's sign. He also painted over the cross on the sign with an "X," deliberately targeting the Christian symbol.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge James R. Sweeney II handed down the sentence after Perkinson pleaded guilty to two federal charges: intentional damage to religious property and making a false statement to a U.S. agency.

When initially confronted by FBI agents, Perkinson denied any involvement in the vandalism. However, after agents executed a search warrant on his cell phone, he admitted he targeted the sign specifically because it belonged to a Christian church.

Perkinson told investigators he was motivated by his involvement in various Satanic organizations. A forensic review of his phone revealed extensive research into local churches, including searches for "Maple Grove Baptist Church Plainfield," "Churches near me," and terms associated with occult groups such as the "Noctulian Blood Covenant" and "Nexion 435."

What investigators found on Perkinson's phone went far beyond church vandalism. Agents discovered searches for the "address of largest Jewish church in America," online messages in which Perkinson claimed access to firearms and encouraged mass violence, photographs of Perkinson posing with recently deceased animals, and evidence that he had set fire to a dumpster.

Targeting any house of worship because of its faith is an attack on the fundamental freedoms that define our nation.

U.S. Attorney Tom Wheeler said in a statement following the sentencing.

Plainfield Man Gets Federal Prison Time for Satanic Vandalism Against Christian Church

The case was investigated by the FBI's Indianapolis Field Office and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana. The investigation uncovered what prosecutors described as a pattern of disturbing behavior that posed a real threat to the community.

Perkinson's sentencing sends a clear message that attacks on houses of worship will be treated as serious federal offenses. The case was brought under federal hate crime statutes that protect religious institutions from targeted acts of destruction.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let this sink in. A self proclaimed Satanist deliberately targets a house of God, defaces the cross of Christ with spray paint, and walks away with just 10 months. He had searches for Jewish synagogues on his phone, encouraged mass violence, and posed with dead animals. This was not a troubled young man making a mistake. This was someone methodically planning attacks on places of worship.

Now ask yourself this: what would happen if a Christian walked into a mosque or a Satanic temple and spray painted crosses on their walls? The media would call it a hate crime of the century. But when evil targets a Baptist church in small town Indiana? Barely a whisper in the national press. The double standard is deafening. Ten months is not justice. It is a slap on the wrist for someone who showed every warning sign of escalating violence against people of faith.

Take Action

• Pray for the congregation of Maple Grove Baptist Church in Plainfield, Indiana. Ask your church to include them in corporate prayer this Sunday.
• Contact your U.S. Representative and Senators to advocate for stronger federal penalties for hate crimes targeting houses of worship. Find your representatives at usa.gov/elected-officials.
• Support organizations that defend persecuted Christians worldwide. Donate to The Shepherd's Shield to help protect believers facing violence and discrimination.
• Review your church's security plan. The FBI's Indianapolis Field Office offers free house of worship security assessments. Contact them at (317) 595 4000.
• Share this story on social media. The mainstream press is not covering attacks on churches with the urgency they deserve. Be the voice that breaks through the silence.