Ohio blogger guilty of harassment for sending nude Shrek
DJ Byrnes, an Ohio political blogger, was ordered to pay a $200 fine after a jury found him guilty of telecommunications harassment for texting a nude Shrek to a senator.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Political blogger DJ Byrnes texted an explicit image of Shrek to Ohio State Sen. Jerry Cirino.
- A jury found him guilty of telecommunications harassment, resulting in a $200 fine.
- Byrnes argued his actions were protected free speech, which the court rejected.
- Cirino emphasized the issue was personal harassment rather than political commentary.
A jury in Ohio has convicted a political blogger of telecommunications harassment after he sent an explicit image of the animated character Shrek to a Republican state senator. A judge ordered DJ Byrnes, who runs the political commentary blog The Rooster, to pay a 200-dollar fine following the verdict, according to a report by the Columbus Dispatch.
The incident took place in May after Ohio State Senator Jerry Cirino dropped out of the state's Senate presidential race. According to local reporting, Byrnes texted an explicit image of Shrek directly to Cirino along with a politically charged and mocking message.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The accompanying message criticized the senator's political career and included hostile remarks claiming to send regards from a specific caucus group. Following the text message, Cirino filed a formal police report, describing the communications sent to his phone as pornographic and harassing in nature.
In June, four state police officers arrested Byrnes directly inside the Ohio statehouse. Although he successfully posted bond following the apprehension, reports noted that he was still held overnight in jail.
"I can’t wait for the jury to see the image that he sent to me."
Jerry Cirino
Ahead of the trial, Cirino expressed confidence regarding the evidence, while Byrnes pleaded not guilty to the charges, arguing that his text message constituted protected free speech under the law.
This case highlights the legal boundary between aggressive political satire and unlawful personal harassment. While political blogging and sharp criticism enjoy robust legal protections, targeting public officials with unsolicited explicit imagery crosses the line from commentary into actionable criminal harassment.
Source: The Verge
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