Texas Man Faces Prison Time After Allegedly Threatening Officials Over Anime Access Issues

Joseph Roy Ozment reportedly lost his cool when he found out he could no longer access his beloved anime. The Texas resident was so enraged that he called the governor’s office, leaving a profanity-laden voicemail where he allegedly threatened to “fucking stab every goddam one of you bitches,” leading to terrorism charges against him.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (TDPS), a phone registered to Ozment contacted the governor’s office on July 25, delivering a wild and threatening complaint. A TDPS agent noted that the message was intended to instill “fear of serious injury” and to coerce “the executive branch of the state government to change legislation.” In simpler terms, the voicemail included a threat to kill multiple people, alarming the employee who received it. This individual reported feeling “in fear not only for his life but also for his coworkers.” Here’s the full message as quoted by the TDPS:

I don’t know which one of you sons of bitches passed this motherfucking bill to get this damn shit blocking my motherfucking anime, but you whole-ass motherfuckers need to unpass this shit. Y’all are fucking ridiculous with your bitch asses. My Google account says I’m fucking over the age of 18, and your dumbass is passing these dumbass laws. I’ma fucking stab every goddamn one of you bitches. Unlock my fucking anime.

It’s unclear what exactly prevented Ozment from watching his “motherfucking anime,” especially since major anime streaming services like Crunchyroll and Yomi are still operational in Texas. However, it’s noted that Texas has age verification laws for adult websites and certain apps, which may have led some sites to block access from the state. It’s possible that the specific anime Ozment wanted wasn’t available on Crunchyroll, perhaps something a bit more risqué?

These contentious age verification laws have been in effect in Texas since 2023, making it puzzling that it took Ozment three years to realize he had lost access to his favorite shows. This law has resurfaced in the news recently due to attempts by a certain adult site to have it overturned, highlighting the ineffectiveness of such legislation globally and the absurdity of trying to restrict access in just one part of the U.S. (Anyone can easily use a VPN to bypass these restrictions.)

If convicted, Ozment could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. At that point, he would really have some serious obstacles in accessing his “motherfucking anime.”