Man pleads guilty in pipe bomb attack on Massachusetts group Satanic Temple

BOSTON (AP) — An Oklahoma man accused of throwing a pipe bomb at the Massachusetts headquarters of a group called The Satanic Temple pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court.

Sean Patrick Palmer, 49, of Perkins changed an earlier plea of not guilty on one count of using an explosive to damage a building following the attack last year on the headquarters. The building is also used as an art gallery.

The Salem-based group says on its website that it campaigns for secularism and individual liberties, and that its members don’t actually worship Satan.

Investigators said surveillance cameras showed a man walking up to the building soon after 4 a.m. on April 8, 2024, wearing a face covering, a tactical vest and gloves. The man then ignited an improvised explosive device, threw it at the main entrance and ran away. The bomb partially detonated, resulting in some minor damage, authorities said.

The bomb appeared to be made from a piece of plastic pipe, authorities said, and they were able to extract a DNA sample from a single hair on the bomb.

An attorney for Palmer could not be immediately reached for comment.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said investigators found a six-page note in a flowerbed near the building addressed to “Dear Satanist” and urged repentance. Authorities said Palmer had posted similar comments on social media. They also said surveillance footage showed a black Volvo registered to Palmer driving erratically in the area before and after the incident.

Palmer, who will be sentenced June 12, faces five years to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.