Mississippi man pleads guilty to beheading Satanic statue in Iowa Capitol

A Mississippi Navy Reserve veteran and former congressional candidate pleaded guilty Friday to vandalizing a Satanic statue in the Iowa state Capitol in exchange for prosecutors dropping a hate crime.

The Satanic Temple of Iowa brought a display to the Iowa Capitol building during the holidays, which is allowed under Iowa state laws. The display included a statue of the horned deity Baphomet, which veteran Michael Cassidy admitted to partially dismantling in December. Cassidy claimed at the time that the statue made him "outraged" as a Christian man.

Cassidy pleaded guilty to an aggravated misdemeanor count of third-degree criminal mischief, and will receive a deferred judgment with two years of probation, according to Fox News. He will also need to pay a $855 civil penalty and pay restitution in an amount still to be determined by the court. He was originally expected to stand trial on June 3.

"As you’re likely aware, we have continually contested the hate crime and questioned whether Mr. Cassidy was being targeted due to his religious beliefs," Cassidy's attorney, Sara Pasquale, told Fox News. "We are therefore very pleased that the state ultimately decided to drop the hate crime and are hopeful that this case will bring awareness to similar situations throughout the country."

Cassidy is also required to engage in a victim-offender dialogue with members of the temple if they request it. 

Lynn Hicks, a spokesperson for the Polk County Attorney's Office, said several factors were taken into consideration when offering the plea deal. Among the factors were his acceptance of responsibility for the crime, and his lack of a criminal background.

"The agreement also included restitution, which can make the victims financially whole, and a victim-offender dialogue, during which the victims will have the opportunity to speak directly with the defendant about what he did and how it affected them," Hicks said.

A judge will still need to approve the plea deal, and is not required to follow the sentencing recommendations outlined in the deal. Cassidy also requested an immediate sentencing and waived his right to address the court, according to the Des Moines Register.