Chicago Blackhawks prospect and Rockford IceHogs forward Garret Ross has been charged with one count of “non-consensual dissemination of sexual images,” according to reports and court documents.
The “non-consensual dissemination of sexual images” is more colloquially referred to as “revenge porn.” It’s a Class 4 felony in Illinois and carries the possibility of jail time and a $25,000 fine. It is considered, under state law, sexual assault.
The law is relatively new in Illinois, one of just 28 states carrying “revenge porn” laws. It was signed into law back in December 2014 by Governor Pat Quinn.
Ross was pulled from the Rockford IceHogs lineup over the weekend in what was then termed a “coach’s decision.” However, the “coach’s decision” was timed neatly with news breaking online about the charges that have been pending for some time. Second City Hockey reports that the status hearing was originally scheduled to take place on February 19. It was canceled and rescheduled.
It seems obvious at this point, but Chris Block of Third Man In reports that Ross being pulled from the lineup wasn’t a “coach’s decision” as much as an order that came down from the Blackhawks. Block also notes that the Blackhawks have pulled Ross’s Star Wars jersey from their online auction.
It’s not entirely clear when the Blackhawks knew about these charges, but it was almost certainly long before they made the decision to pull him from the lineup. According to TMZ, the charges stem from an incident that took place back in August.
Officials say back in August (2015), the player shared a photo of a woman “engaged in a sexual act, which was obtained under circumstances which Ross should have known the image was to remain private.” Officials say Ross also should have known the woman “had not consented to the dissemination.”
Further to the point that the team may have known about these charges for a while, Nick Burzych of SportsTownChicago.com, who broke the story, reports that Ross wasn’t the only IceHogs player involved in the original complaint, though he’s the only one currently facing charges.
UPDATE: I'm told Ross wasn't the only member of the IceHogs involved in the original complaint. He is the only one currently facing charges.
— Nick (Castellanos) (@nburzych) March 22, 2016
If the organization didn’t know until news broke online, they may need to get a better handle on legal issues within the organization. However, that seems unlikely for an organization that is certainly sensitive to how the legal troubles of players reflects on the organization.
The DeKalb County Court House website says that the preliminary hearing is set for April 22. The judge has modified Ross’s bond, according to TMZ, to allow for travel out of state for work, making him eligible, legally, to participate in games outside of Illinois.
Below is a copy of the complaint, via Burzych.
BREAKING: #Blackhawks prospect & current @goicehogs Garret Ross charged with felony under IL's revenge porn statute pic.twitter.com/hCLpAo4QbU
— Nick (Castellanos) (@nburzych) March 19, 2016
UPDATE:
IceHogs HC Ted Dent on Garret Ross' status with the IceHogs: "He's been excused from practice for personal reasons." #Blackhawks
— Dan Cohen (@DanCohenWREX) March 22, 2016
