A Capitol rioter who allegedly shouted at the police for “protecting pedophiles” had previously been arrested and convicted for the statutory rape of an underage girl, CNN reported.
Sean McHugh allegedly shouted “You guys like protecting pedophiles?” at Capitol police with a megaphone in hand at the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. California court records confirmed that McHugh had been convicted of statutory rape for having sex with a 14-year-old girl in 2010. He was sentenced to 240 days in jail but was granted 4 years probation, according to CNN.
Former prosecutor Todd Kuhnen said DNA evidence linked the sexual encounter to McHugh, who was 23 years old at the time. The victim was allegedly intoxicated at the time of the incident, CNN reported.
QAnon has claimed that “Satan-worshipping pedophiles” run the government, according to Business Insider. Although it is unknown whether McHugh has ties to QAnon, 23% of Republicans reportedly believe in the movement’s pedophilia claims. (RELATED: Trump On QAnon Believing He Is Saving The World From Pedophiles: ‘Is That Supposed To Be A Bad Thing?’)
NEW: A Trump supporter accused of storming the Capitol and heckling police officers for supposedly “protecting pedophiles” inside the building previously served jail time after being convicted in the statutory rape of a 14-year-old girl. w/ @HBRabinowitz https://t.co/pjatIvT7ys
— Marshall Cohen (@MarshallCohen) June 4, 2021
Bodycam footage of the riot showed McHugh allegedly shouting at police, saying things like “You’re protecting communists,” “I’d be shaking in your little sh*t boots too” and “there is a Second Amendment behind us, what are you going to do then,” according to CNN. He allegedly used his megaphone to influence other rioters, sprayed officers with an unspecified chemical spray and grabbed a large metal Trump sign urging fellow rioters to ram it into the officers.
McHugh was arrested on May 27 and charged with eight federal crimes, including knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder and for assaulting a law enforcement officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon, according to court records.
A Washington, D.C. federal judge reportedly ruled Tuesday that McHugh should be detained before his trial for posing a threat to the public. One attorney representing him said McHugh does not pose a threat, as he has lived a normal life since the riot and therefore detaining him is unconstitutional, according to CNN.
“I don’t think he should be detained,” Defense Attorney Lexi Negin said at his initial court appearance, CNN reported. “He’s been out for five months…he has been working and living his life. Nothing is going on. To hold someone as a danger or risk of flight under those circumstances is completely against the Constitution.”
At least 460 citizens have been charged in the riot, including a former member of the Trump-era State Department and a Florida firefighter.