Ohio Blogger Convicted for Harassment After Sending Nude Shrek Image to Senator

A jury has found an Ohio political blogger guilty of telecommunications harassment after he sent an explicit image of Shrek to a Republican state senator. Recently, a judge ordered DJ Byrnes, who runs a political commentary blog, to pay a $200 fine.

In May, Byrnes texted Ohio Senator Jerry Cirino after Cirino withdrew from the state’s Senate presidential race. He sent a nude image of Shrek along with the message: “Good to see you finally made your humiliation public, Young Mussolini! THE PATRIOTS CAUCUS sends its regards!!!!!!!!!!”

Cirino reported Byrnes to the police, describing the messages as pornographic and harassing. In June, four state police officers arrested Byrnes at the Ohio statehouse, and he was reportedly held overnight despite having posted bail.

“I can’t wait for the jury to see the image that he sent to me,” Cirino stated before the trial. Byrnes pleaded not guilty to telecommunications harassment, arguing that his text fell under protected free speech.

Cirino responded to the ruling by saying, “This wasn’t a free speech issue; this was a harassment statute that I believed he was in violation of. Obviously, he’s free to write on his blog whatever he wants. I just don’t want to be accosted in the Statehouse in the future.”