by Rusty Pugh
(AgapePress) – A Christian attorney says the case of an Ohio man who was sent to prison after writing about child molestation in a private journal is alarming, because it is the kind of thought intrusion that could one day be used against Christians.
Twenty-two-year-old Brian Dalton pleaded guilty to child pornography charges after authorities discovered a journal in which he wrote stories about torturing and molesting children. Dalton was already on probation for a previous charge involving pornographic pictures of children.
Steve Crampton, lead counsel for the American Family Association Center for Law & Policy, says Dalton’s writings were disturbing and revolting. But he feels it sets a dangerous precedent with regard to the government’s right to prosecute what he calls a “thought crime.”
“With the push for hate crimes legislation both nationally and in various states, it is a popular topic for legislators, and frankly I think the courts, with regard to conservative Christian beliefs,” he says. “I fear that such a precedent would be turned against us and our supporters because of traditional biblical views, with topics such as abortion, homosexuality, or for that matter even pornography one day.”
(This update courtesy of Agape Press.)
