Pennsylvania teen charged under obscure 1972 law for simulated sex acts with Jesus statue

A Pennsylvania teen was charged on Tuesday with desecrating a sacred object after he posted photos of himself simulating oral sex with a statue of Jesus Christ.

A police report obtained by The Smoking Gun said that the teen, who Pennsylvania State Police did not wish to identify, had "posted pictures of himself on Facebook desecrating a statue of Jesus" at Love In the Name of Christ in Everett.

The photo shows the head of a kneeling Jesus in the crotch of the teen. The teen did not appear to be violating indecency laws because he was wearing pants, but no shirt.

Instead, state police charged him under what The Associated Press reported is "a rarely used 1972 law that makes it a crime to desecrate a venerated object."

A spokesperson for the ministry told Raw Story that Love In the Name of Christ did not ask police to press charges against the teen.

"And repercussions that have come from this have been because of what he has posted on Facebook," the spokesperson said. "We have asked for prayer for this young man. And Love Inc. did not press charges against him. So, what is happening is from the police. It is not from the ministry."

"It's really sad. It's just sad," the spokesperson added.

[Statue of Jesus from Temple Square (Facebook)]