Hacker attacks online church service with satanic imagery

A HACKER who ruined an online church service by posting satanic images and pornography is being hunted by police.

Worshippers were shocked to see pentagrams and sexual images flash up during a web-based gathering held on Zoom.

Rev Fiona Smith, whose sermon was interrupted, was forced to shut down the service for the 120-strong flock from Ness Bank Church in Inverness and nearby Nairn Old Parish Church.

She said: ‘We will not be defeated by people trying to scare and intimidate us.

‘We will continue to reach out to people who would dearly love to come to the church for services but cannot due to the Covid restrictions. We will continue to give them hope with the online services and I will keep on working my socks off to hold the congregation together.’

Rev Smith said the Sunday service on October 18 was about to start when she saw ‘satanic pentagram’ signs and a masked man. She said she removed the pictures immediately ‘but the music was still going on and a virtual image that was pornographic was seen’.

The minister added: ‘I immediately shut the whole service down. No more than 25 people would have seen the images.’

The Church of Scotland said it very much regretted the ‘distressing incident’. Police are now conducting an investigation.