COLUMBUS, Ohio – A London, Ohio, man was sentenced in federal court today to 20 months in prison and five years of supervised release for making online threats to individuals connected with a non-profit organization whose mission is to help people access safe abortions.
James David Hampton, 41, was charged by a federal grand jury in April 2021 and pleaded guilty in June 2021.
According to court documents, on Aug. 26, 2020, Hampton searched “Abortion Support Network” on Facebook and commented on the ASN page, in part, “we kill scum like you…we follow you…we stalk you…then we kill you” and “there will be no pity when I myself stand over your cowering body as you beg and weep for your own life…just before I cut your throat.”
Hampton added, “we know where you live..your routines..we kidnap your kind…we torture you for information.”
He went into graphic detail about how he would cause pain and suffering to his victims before their death, telling one victim: “100 beatings with a hot chain … then … I will bury you alive in a whole with bleach water to drink (if you choose to) .. oh, and the earth above your body will be set on fire as well .. consider it a trial run for your time in hell ..”
In total, Hampton made more than a dozen threats to at least 10 victims.
In addition to the electronic communications, Hampton posted several public Facebook live videos to his profile on Aug. 26, 2020.
Hampton is clearly identified in the videos and stated, “My name is James David Hampton and I kill baby murderers.” He warned that a “great and ferocious wrath” was coming and spoke about burning down clinics and executing the doctors in the streets, as well as people who fund abortion clinics.
Vipal J. Patel, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Jessica W. Knight is representing the United States in this case.
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