Garret Ross 'revenge porn' charges dropped
Charges against suspended Chicago Blackhawks prospect Garret Ross for a felony of "non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images” has been dropped in DeKalb County, Illinois.
The crime is more commonly referred to as “revenge porn.”
According to multiple reports, the state attorney’s office said Ross was in Michigan at the time of the alleged incident.
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In Illinois, “revenge porn” can carry a maximum sentence of three years in jail. Michigan's are reportedly not as severe.
Per a police report, Ross, then a member of the Rockford IceHogs, allegedly sent a pornographic video of a woman one of his teammates dated to her in a text message exchange about Ross's recent breakup with his girlfriend. The video was originally sent to Ross's teammate and she was then concerned that the video had been "disbursed to other men." After this the woman decided to pursue charges against both Ross and the teammate, whose name was not divulged in the report. Ross’s teammate has not been charged.
DeKalb County State’s Attorney Richard Schmack told the Chicago Tribune, “This is not a crime that occurred in the state of Illinois. Further investigation revealed that Ross and the recipient were both in Michigan at the time.”
The Tribune notes the woman can still file a complaint in Michigan.
The alleged incident happened in August and Ross was charged on Feb. 2.
The Blackhawks suspended Ross indefinitely after they said they found out about his issues on March 19, “pending the outcome of the legal process.”
The 23-year-old Ross is in the final year of his contract with the team. The team selected Ross in the fifth-round of the 2012 Draft.
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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper
