An Ohio political blogger has been convicted of telecommunications harassment for sending an explicit image of Shrek to a state senator. DJ Byrnes, who runs the commentary blog The Rooster, was ordered by a judge to pay a $200 fine after a jury found him guilty, according to The Verge.
The case stems from a May text message Byrnes sent to Republican Sen. Jerry Cirino after Byrnes dropped out of a state Senate presidential race. The message included a nude Shrek image alongside a taunt referencing Cirino's public humiliation. Cirino filed a police report, and four state officers arrested Byrnes at the Ohio statehouse in June; he was held overnight despite posting bail.
Byrnes pleaded not guilty, arguing the text was protected free speech. Cirino disagreed, saying the harassment statute applied and that Byrnes remained free to write whatever he wanted on his blog. The Verge notes the ruling came after Cirino said he looked forward to the jury seeing the image.