Houston Man Charged For Terroristic Threat Over Anime Voicemail
The case ties anime access to Texas age verification laws, though the article notes Crunchyroll and HIDIVE remain available in the state.
Reporting from 1 source: Anime News Network.
Joseph Roy Ozment, 35, of Houston faces a third-degree felony charge of terroristic threat against a public servant after allegedly leaving a profanity-laden voicemail for the Governor's Office demanding officials "unpass" a law he says is blocking his anime. The call was made July 25 from a phone registered to him. He faces up to 10 years in prison and US$10,000 in fines if convicted. It is unclear which bill he meant.
The voicemail, as quoted by KXAN, threatened to stab state officials unless they "unpass" a law the caller said was blocking his anime. A Texas Department of Public Safety agent wrote in an affidavit that the call came from a cell phone registered to Joseph Roy Ozment on July 25. The Governor's Office employee who received it said they feared for their own life, their coworkers, and the public.
It remains unclear which law Ozment meant. Possible candidates include a 2023 Texas age verification law for adult websites and Senate Bill 2420, which would require app stores to verify a user's age before downloads. Crunchyroll and HIDIVE remain available in Texas.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime News Network News Houston Man Charged For Terroristic Threat Over Anime