(AhlulBayt News Agency) - A man in Jersey City, New Jersey was sentenced on Tuesday to 12 months probation for spray-painting anti-Muslim graffiti on a building used by the local Muslim community.
Jonathon Hussey, aged 20, was charged with writing crude phrases and the name of President-elect Donald Trump sometime overnight between Oct. 13 and Oct. 14 on the closed St. Henry School building at Avenue C and 27th Street, where the Muslim community leases space.
As a condition of his conviction, Hussey, of West 27th Street, wrote a letter of apology to the St. Henry's Church pastor and to the administrator of the Muslim community center that uses the parish school, New Jersey Local News reported.
On December 2nd Hussey pleaded guilty to the disorderly person's charge of criminal mischief. As part of the deal, the charges of bias intimidation and criminal trespassing were dropped. If he completes his term of probation successfully, the criminal mischief charges will not remain on his record.
The graffiti was discovered just before 7 a.m. on Oct. 14 by members of the Muslim community who had arrived at the building for morning prayers. Hussey was arrested that day after being identified by a witness and surveillance camera footage from nearby buildings, police said.
Following the plea hearing, Welsh said: "It ended up, actually, being a teaching moment because he realized how wrong he was and was very appreciative because the administrator of the Muslim center has been very forgiving and open-minded about the situation."
Hussey did not speak at today's hearing held in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.
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