Man Pleads Guilty to Fla. Abortion Clinic Fire

July 23, 2012 — A homeless man who had been living in the parking lot of a Pensacola, Fla., abortion clinic pleaded guilty on Thursday to starting a January fire that destroyed the facility, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Bobby Joe Rogers, 41, was charged with arson and destroying a business that provides reproductive services. Rogers, who described himself as illiterate, has a long criminal history and faces up to 21 years in prison for the clinic fire. He started the fire at the American Family Planning Clinic "because of his hatred for abortion," according to the AP/Chronicle.

Rogers had no history of activism but had been spending time with antiabortion protesters outside of the clinic. He will be sentenced on Oct. 4.

U.S. Attorney Pamela Marsh in a statement after Thursday's hearing said, "The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute acts of violence that threaten reproductive health workers and establishments."

The incident is among a long history of violence at the clinic, including a 1984 Christmas Day bombing (Nelson-Gabriel, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 7/19).