Miami Beach resident Joseph Jorczak was arrested on Wednesday for making anti-gay comments online and threatening a large attack against a local gay-friendly church, NBC Miami reports.
Rev. Hunter Thompson, a pastor at the LGBT-friendly Miami Beach Community Church, has a restraining order against Jorczak. On Nov. 17 and 29, the suspect reportedly posted hateful messages against the church on social media reading, "The Miami Beach Community Church is filled with a bunch of sick homosexuals." His posts went on to say that "you cannot trust the LGBT community" and called them "nasty people." The suspect even said that the Pulse nightclub massacres would "look small" compared to his planned attacks on the church.
According to 7News, Jorczak had actually been a member of the Miami Beach Community Church, but upon being diagnosed with a terminal illness, Jorczak began to "unravel," as Rev. Thompson says. This diagnosis drove him to harass the LGBT members of his church, which continued for months until he posted a photo online of Rev. Thompson's 19-year-old daughter alongside sexually explicit comments.
After being accused of cyberstalking and violating a restraining order, Jorczake was pursued by police at his apartment and taken into custody.
The church has since hired a security detail, but will continue to welcome everyone, including those who suffer from mental illness.
