Indictment Issued for Perpetrators of Violence Against Florida Pregnancy Centers

The Department of Justice’s investigation of violence against pro-life pregnancy resource centers has resulted in the indictment of a man and woman from Florida.

Caleb Freestone, 27, and Amber Smith-Stewart, 23, were indicted by a grand jury in the Middle District of Florida for “engag[ing] in a conspiracy to prevent employees of reproductive health services facilities from providing those services.”

The indictment referenced co-conspirators, so more indictments may be coming.

Freestone and Smith-Stewart are alleged to have vandalized a pregnancy center in Winter Haven, Florida, with spray painted sayings such as, “If abortions aren’t safe than niether [sic] are you,” “YOUR TIME IS UP!!,” “WE’RE COMING for U,” and “We are everywhere.”

The indictment also mentions incidents against centers in Hollywood and Hialeah, Florida.

The Justice Department also included charges based on the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

The FACE Act, signed into law in 1994, allows for prosecution of persons who physically obstruct the entrance to a clinic or who use force, the threat of force, or physical obstruction to interfere with women seeking abortions or other reproductive health services or those who provide such services.

It also allows for civil remedies for a violation of the Act.

The Department of Justice alleged that Freestone and Smith-Stewart used “threats of force to intimidate and interfere with the employees” of the pregnancy center in Winter Haven and that they targeted it for damage and destruction because of the services it provides.

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If convicted, Freestone and Smith-Stewart each face up to a maximum of 12 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines of up to $350,000.

CompassCare, a network of pregnancy centers in upstate New York, in conjunction with the legal defense fund the Thomas More Society, is conducting its own investigation into incidents of violence against at least 78 pregnancy centers since the Dobbs opinion was leaked last year.

Jim Brejcha of the Thomas More Society opined that pregnancy centers ought to be covered by the FACE Act because the services they provide he believes fall under its protections. This indictment seems to affirm his view.

CompassCare’s center in Buffalo was firebombed and no perpetrators have yet been charged.

“The indictments of Jane’s Revenge abortion terrorists is bittersweet. It is a win that indictments were made but a loss that it took eight months and the launch of House Judiciary Committee investigation into the FBI to make it happen,” CompassCare President Rev. Jim Harden said in a press release.

“These indictments ought to be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to conspiracy to deprive pro-life citizens of equal protection under the law,” he added.

In 1998, the Justice Department established the Task Force on Violence Against Health Care Providers. While its website indicates its work has primarily focused on violence against abortion providers, the work may now be expanded to include violence aimed at pro-life pregnancy centers.

Main photo: Caleb Freestone (left) and Amber Smith-Stewart (right) / CompassCare