Neo-Nazi leader charged with child abuse, domestic violence
Sean Kauffmann, a neo-Nazi and violent white supremacist whose harassment of LGBTQ+ people and journalists has been highlighted by Raw Story, faces charges for aggravated assault and child abuse following a report that he punched the mother of his infant son in the head.
A sheriff’s deputy in Perry County, Tenn., was dispatched to Kauffmann’s home in Linden, Tenn., at about 8:09 p.m. on March 22, according to a police report obtained by Raw Story.
Kauffmann’s partner, whose name is redacted in the report, told the deputy that Kauffmann “assaulted her by punching her numerous times in the face and head, while she was holding their infant son.”
The report goes on to say that Kauffmann’s partner “had bruising above both her eyes and swelling on her left jaw, and around both her eyes,” that she was “bleeding from the mouth and ears,” and “had a broken tooth, which was about to fall out.”
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The woman also reportedly told the deputy she was several weeks pregnant and that Kauffmann told her he was going to kill her.
The report also quotes the woman as saying that Kauffmann, who is listed at 6 feet, 5 inches tall, and weighing 225 pounds, grabbed the infant by the clothing and tried to pull him from his mother’s arms, causing bruising on the child’s head and a red mark on his arm.
Kauffmann was held in the Perry County Jail from March 22 through March 26, and released on a bond for $15,000 for aggravated assault and $10,000 for child abuse, according to police records.
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He is scheduled to appear in court before Judge Katerina Moore on Thursday to face charges of child abuse/neglect/endangerment for a child eight years old or younger, and aggravated assault-domestic.
Kauffmann could not be reached for comment for this story.
The Telegram channel for Tennessee Active Club, the neo-Nazi group led by Kauffmann, went dark on March 26, the day he bonded out of jail. A new channel for Kauffmann’s group reemerged on Telegram on March 30, but does not include any content.
History of violence
Sean Kauffmann leads the Tennessee Active Club, a group that is part of a decentralized, global network of white nationalist groups.
Under Kauffmann's leadership, Tennessee Active Club has served as a hub for neo-Nazi organizing and harassment of LGBTQ+ people and other perceived enemies.
In 2021, Kauffmann was convicted of two counts of domestic assault in Perry County in November 2021, according to local court records.
According to an incident report filed in the case, an investigator observed red and purple marks on the neck of the victim — a different woman — and she told him he strangled her and she could not breathe. The investigator reportedly observed a knot on her forehead, black eye, swollen lip and swollen nose.
William Beals, a 15-year-old boy and Sean Kauffmann (l-r) outside a drag show in Cookeville, Tenn., on Jan. 22. Robert Bray is in the background at left. (Courtesy Josh Brandon)
Following Kauffmann’s arrest in the 2021 case, according to the report, deputies obtained a court order to seize all the firearms from his house.
Moore, whom Kauffmann will again face on Thursday, also granted a protective order to the victim.
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Editor’s note: Kauffmann was among five neo-Nazis who demonstrated in front of Raw Story reporter Jordan Green’s home in Greensboro, N.C. in February. Flanked by four men holding lit emergency flares, Kauffmann held a handwritten sign warning of “consequences.”
Kauffmann suggested in a post on the encrypted social media app Telegram that he held Green responsible, at least in part, for his ongoing legal troubles.
“We can’t wait for everyone to see how our activities have helped build a case for a far greater exposé of the people orchestrating antifa and these journalists,” he wrote in the post, referencing the demonstration. “Specifically to me how this will impact all of my legal situations helping me win decisive victories! It’s the only thing that’s helped keep pushing me as hard as it’s gotten!”
The post was made in a Telegram channel run by Kauffmann’s partner, who is the alleged victim in the aggravated assault case.
Wendy Greenlaw contributed to this story