A federal jury began deliberating Friday in the case of a self-proclaimed white nationalist accused of threatening to rape the wife of a Missouri man who was part of a racist group he felt was harassing him. Christopher Cantwell, a New Hampshire resident and radio host who became known after participating in a deadly 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, was arrested in January on federal charges of extortion, making threats and cyberstalking. After deliberating for nearly two hours, the jury went home for the weekend without announcing a verdict and planned to reconvene Monday. Authorities say he used the Telegram messaging app to convey a threat last year to a Missouri man that he would rape the man’s wife if he didn’t give up information on the leader of a white supremacist group of which the man was a member, authorities said Cantwell also is accused of threatening to expose the man’s identity if he didn’t provide personal details on the leader. Authorities say he threatened to report the Missouri man, who has several children, to the state’s child division for drug use and racist views. He did call the agency, but it did not feel the complaint justified further investigation. Rather than trash talk or the constant stream of insults common on the internet, prosecutors said in closing remarks, Cantwell’s threat “crossed a line” and was aimed at scaring the Missouri man into giving up personal details. “This was a serious threat that would cause a reasonable person apprehension,” Assistant U.S. Attorney John Davis told the jury.
via fox4kc: Jury gets case of white supremacist accused of rape threat to Missouri man