Muslim Who Threatened South Park Pleads Guilty

Zachary Chesser admits issuing threats, supporting terrorists
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 21, 2010 1:12 AM CDT
Muslim Who Threatened South Park Pleads Guilty
Zachary Chesser, seen here at a demonstration near the White House, will be sentenced in February.   (YouTube)

A Virginia man who threatened the creators of South Park for their depiction of Mohammed faces up to 30 years in jail after pleading guilty to issuing threats—and providing support for Somali terrorists. Zachary Chesser, 20, also admitted posting the personal contact information of people who joined the Facebook group "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" on a jihadist website, the Christian Science Monitor reports.

Chesser, a Muslim convert who dropped out of George Mason University, was arrested in July as he attempted to leave the US to join an insurgent group in Somalia. Chesser "seriously endangered the lives of innocent people who will remain at risk for many years to come,” said US Attorney Neil MacBride. “His solicitation of extremists to murder US citizens also caused people throughout the country to fear speaking out—even in jest—lest they also be labeled as enemies of Islam who deserved to be killed." (More Zachary Chesser stories.)

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