A Texas man is facing an alleged terrorism-related charge after authorities say he threatened state officials over losing access to anime content.
Joseph Roy Ozment, a Travis County resident, allegedly used a mobile phone registered in his name to call the governor’s office on 25 July. The Texas Department of Public Safety (TDPS) says the caller left a threatening message intended to place people in fear of serious injury and pressure the executive branch to change legislation.
The employee who received the call reported being afraid for both their own safety and that of their colleagues. TDPS quoted the alleged message as follows:
I don’t know which one of you sons of bitches passed this motherfucking bill to get this damn shit blocking my motherfucking anime, but you whole-ass motherfuckers need to unpass this shit. Y’all are fucking ridiculous with your bitch asses. My Google account says I’m fucking over the age of 18, and your dumbass is passing these dumbass laws. I’ma fucking stab every goddamn one of you bitches. Unlock my fucking anime.
What blocked Ozment’s anime access?
The precise service or programme Ozment allegedly wanted to watch has not been established. Local news network KXAN reports that mainstream anime services including Crunchyroll and Yomi remain legal in Texas.
Texas does, however, require age verification for access to adult websites and certain apps. Some services have responded by restricting access from the state, which may explain the reported complaint. The available information does not identify the specific anime content involved.
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Texas age-verification law returns to the headlines
The relevant Texas age-verification rules have been in effect since 2023, meaning the timing of the alleged discovery is unclear. The legislation has attracted renewed attention after Pornhub’s recent attempts to have it overturned.
Debate over these rules includes questions about their effectiveness and the practicality of limiting online access by location. Those arguments remain separate from the criminal allegations involving Ozment, which concern the threatening call to the governor’s office.
Potential penalty
If convicted, Ozment could receive a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of as much as $10,000, according to the reported case details. The allegations have not been established in court.
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