Ohio blogger found guilty of harassment for sending Shrek nude to senator
An Ohio political blogger was convicted of telecommunications harassment after sending a nude image of the character Shrek to a state senator. The defendant argued the act was protected free speech, but the court ruled it violated harassment statutes.
Why it matters
The case highlights the legal boundaries between protected political expression and criminal harassment in the digital age.
A jury found an Ohio political blogger guilty of telecommunications harassment after he sent an explicit image of Shrek to a Republican state senator. On Friday, a judge ordered DJ Byrnes, owner of political commentary blog The Rooster, to pay a $200 fine, according to a report from the Columbus Dispatch.
Byrnes texted Ohio Sen. Jerry Cirino in May after he dropped out of the state’s Senate presidential race. As reported by the Columbus Dispatch, Byrnes sent a nude image of Shrek alongside the message: “Good to see you finally made your humiliation public, Young Mussolini! THE PATRIOTS CAUCUS sends its regards!!!!!!!!!!”
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in