A Catholic author and speaker who often recite the rosary in front of an abortion facility in Philadelphia was accused on Friday for attacking a Planned Parenthood clinic escort bodily in the previous year.
Co-founder and president of the Catholic organisation The King’s Men, which seeks to provide Catholic men with spiritual development, is Mark Houck, 48, of Kintnersville, Pennsylvania.
On Friday morning, word of Houck’s arrest spread extensively on social media thanks to a tweet by Chris Stefanick, another well-known Catholic speaker. Ryan-Marie Houck, Houck’s wife, spoke to CNA about the arrest on Friday.
Ryan-Marie Houck said that “a SWAT squad of around 25 arrived to my home with about 15 trucks and began hammering on our door.” If he didn’t open it, they threatened to break in. Then, she said, “they had approximately five guns pointing at my husband, myself, and essentially at my kids.
She said that many agencies were present during the arrest and that when she asked to see the warrant, she was given one.
Houck was taken into custody outside his home on Friday morning “without incident,” the FBI told CNA on Friday. According to a news statement from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Houck is accused of breaking the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE Act for short.
According to the federal indictment, on October 13, 2021, Houck repeatedly attacked a 72-year-old man who was serving as a patient escort at a Planned Parenthood facility in Philadelphia at 1144 Locust St. According to the accusation, the escort, known only by its initials B.L, was being pushed to the ground by Houck while B.L tried to transport two patients. The same day, according to the indictment, Houck allegedly “verbally accosted” and “forcefully pushed” B.L. in front of Planned Parenthood. According to the indictment, B.L. was hurt and required medical care.
According to court filings, Houck allegedly participated in a demonstration outside the Philadelphia Planned Parenthood Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center at 1144 Locust Street.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Houck may be sentenced to up to 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $350,000 if found guilty.
The Department of Justice states that the FACE Act “prohibits aggressive, threatening, destructive and obstructive behaviour designed to harm, intimidate, or interfere with the right to seek, access, or deliver reproductive health care” (DOJ).
The FACE Act, according to the DOJ, protects “all patients, clinicians, and facilities that offer reproductive health services, including pro-life pregnancy counselling services and any other pregnancy support institution providing reproductive health care.” Violating the FACE Act is a federal felony.
According to Ryan-Marie Houck, her husband offers material to anybody who requests it while reciting the rosary every Wednesday outside one of two distinct Planned Parenthood locations. She said that The King’s Men’s mission included praying in front of the clinic.
In a text message, Ryan-Marie Houck wrote, “This was a terrible over-reach by the ‘justice’ department with excessive use of force and made up claims and our story has to be told honestly. These accusations are untrue.
She said that on Friday, after his first court appearance, he was discharged. She stated her spouse was unwilling to comment.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Jacqueline Romero, said in a statement that the FACE Act would not be tolerated.
In the news release, she said that assault is always a severe crime and that it is a federal criminal under the FACE Act if the victim is singled out because of their affiliation with a reproductive healthcare facility.
She said, “Our Office and the Department of Justice are dedicated to pursuing offences which pose a risk to the rights and safety of every person.”