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 a political commentary blog the roosterto pay a fine of $200, according to a report from the Columbus’s Office.
Byrnes texted Ohio Sen. Jerry Cirino in May after he dropped out of the state Senate presidential race. As reported by the Columbus’s OfficeByrnes sent a picture of a naked Shrek along with the message: “It’s good to see you finally made your humiliation public, young Mussolini! THE PATRIOTS CAUCUS sends its regards!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Cirino filed a police report against Byrnes, “describing his messages as pornographic and harassing,” according to the Columbus’s Office. Four state police officers arrested Byrnes at the Ohio headquarters of government in June, the Columbus’s Office information. Byrnes reportedly spent the night in jail even though he posted bail.
“I can’t wait for the jury to see the image you sent me,” Cirino said before the trial, according to the Columbus’s Office. Byrnes pleaded not guilty to telecommunications harassment and claimed that the text protected freedom of expression.
“This was not a free speech issue; it was a harassment statute that I believed he was violating,” Cirino said after the ruling, News 5 Cleveland reported. “Obviously, he’s free to blog whatever he wants. I just don’t want to be harassed at the Capitol in the future.”
