Teen Charged With Desecrating Jesus Statue, Posting Photos Online

Authorities are using a little-known 1972 law to charge a 14-year-old Pennsylvania boy for desecrating a statue of Jesus Christ.

Bedford County officials say the teen stood in front of the statue and mimicked a sex act, all the while taking pictures and posting those pictures online. That act drew violent threats from the online community, according to the Altoona Mirror.

The law, which has rarely been used, makes it a crime to desecrate a venerated object. The same law was used in 2010 to charge a college student who urinated on a nativity scene.

The statue belongs to Love in the Name of Christ, a Christian service organization.

[via Altoona Mirror, Associated Press]