An American political blogger has found himself at the centre of a bizarre legal battle after allegedly sending a Republican state senator an explicit image of Shrek.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!D.J. Byrnes, 39, from Columbus, Ohio, spent almost an entire day behind bars after being accused of sending an obscene picture of the famous green cartoon ogre to Ohio state senator Jerry Cirino, per The Independent.
The blogger, who operates the Substack newsletter The Rooster, has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanour charge of telecommunications harassment.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, the controversy began on May 6, when Byrnes allegedly sent Cirino three text messages containing political commentary and a digitally altered image of Shrek.
However, this was certainly not the family-friendly version of the character.
An affidavit accompanying Byrnes’ arrest report described the image as “fully nude with an exposed and erect humanlike penis engaged in an act of masturbation.”
The messages also reportedly referred to Cirino, who represents Ohio’s 18th district, as “young Mussolini,” a nickname Byrnes has frequently used when discussing the Republican politician.
Two days after receiving the messages, Cirino contacted Kirtland Police Chief Jeremy Fisher to make a formal complaint.
The senator claimed Byrnes had previously “harassed” him and described the Shrek image as “pornographic.”
“I am officially filing a complaint and am asking that the Kirtland Police Department take appropriate actions since this occurred in Kirtland where I live,” Cirino wrote. “I would like this harassment to stop immediately and I would like charges filed against the individual.”
Cirino also reportedly responded to the image by saying: “I don’t know who this is but I am certain you are a moron.”
The situation escalated considerably when Byrnes was arrested at the Ohio Statehouse on June 1.
He subsequently spent 23 hours in jail before being released on bail.
But rather than keeping a low profile following his arrest, Byrnes turned the incident into an unlikely merchandising opportunity.
The blogger began selling T-shirts featuring his own mugshot alongside the words “never surrender.”
Despite the unusual circumstances surrounding the case, the potential consequences are serious.
Byrnes faces up to six months in prison if convicted of telecommunications harassment.
He maintains that his messages constitute constitutionally protected free speech, while Cirino insists they were “offensive” and “harassing.”
“I can’t wait for the jury to see the image that he sent me,” Cirino told The Columbus Dispatch.
Ahead of his scheduled Thursday court appearance, Byrnes defended his position in a statement to Signal Ohio.
“I believe that the facts presented in court will show that I’m innocent of the misdemeanor charge of telecommunications harassment.
“On the advice of my legal counsel, Bill Livingston, I will not be commenting on the specifics of the allegations. The work of shining light on the wretched and decaying underbelly of Ohio politics is too important to be sidetracked by this attempted interference.”
What began as an exchange of political messages has now become a legal dispute over harassment and freedom of expression, with an explicit cartoon ogre image at the centre of it all.
Featured image credit: Youtube/The Rooster/DreamWorks
