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Ohio Code 2917.21 - Telecommunications harassment

Ohio Code > Title 29 > Chapter 2917 > § 2917.21 - Telecommunications harassment


(A) No person shall knowingly make or cause to be made a telecommunication, or knowingly permit a telecommunication to be made from a telecommunications device under the person’s control, to another, if the caller does any of the following:

(1) Fails to identify the caller to the recipient of the telecommunication and makes the telecommunication with purpose to harass or abuse any person at the premises to which the telecommunication is made, whether or not actual communication takes place between the caller and a recipient;

(2) Describes, suggests, requests, or proposes that the caller, the recipient of the telecommunication, or any other person engage in sexual activity, and the recipient or another person at the premises to which the telecommunication is made has requested, in a previous telecommunication or in the immediate telecommunication, that the caller not make a telecommunication to the recipient or to the premises to which the telecommunication is made;

(3) During the telecommunication, violates section 2903.21 of the Revised Code;

(4) Knowingly states to the recipient of the telecommunication that the caller intends to cause damage to or destroy public or private property, and the recipient, any member of the recipient’s family, or any other person who resides at the premises to which the telecommunication is made owns, leases, resides, or works in, will at the time of the destruction or damaging be near or in, has the responsibility of protecting, or insures the property that will be destroyed or damaged;

(5) Knowingly makes the telecommunication to the recipient of the telecommunication, to another person at the premises to which the telecommunication is made, or to those premises, and the recipient or another person at those premises previously has told the caller not to make a telecommunication to those premises or to any persons at those premises.

(B) No person shall make or cause to be made a telecommunication, or permit a telecommunication to be made from a telecommunications device under the person’s control, with purpose to abuse, threaten, or harass another person.

(C)(1) Whoever violates this section is guilty of telecommunications harassment.

(2) A violation of division (A)(1), (2), (3), or (5) or (B) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree on a first offense and a felony of the fifth degree on each subsequent offense.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(3) of this section, a violation of division (A)(4) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree on a first offense and a felony of the fifth degree on each subsequent offense. If a violation of division (A)(4) of this section results in economic harm of five hundred dollars or more but less than five thousand dollars, telecommunications harassment is a felony of the fifth degree. If a violation of division (A)(4) of this section results in economic harm of five thousand dollars or more but less than one hundred thousand dollars, telecommunications harassment is a felony of the fourth degree. If a violation of division (A)(4) of this section results in economic harm of one hundred thousand dollars or more, telecommunications harassment is a felony of the third degree.

(D) No cause of action may be asserted in any court of this state against any provider of a telecommunications service or information service, or against any officer, employee, or agent of a telecommunication service or information service, for any injury, death, or loss to person or property that allegedly arises out of the provider’s, officer’s, employee’s, or agent’s provision of information, facilities, or assistance in accordance with the terms of a court order that is issued in relation to the investigation or prosecution of an alleged violation of this section or section 4931.31 of the Revised Code. A provider of a telecommunications service or information service, or an officer, employee, or agent of a telecommunications service or information service, is immune from any civil or criminal liability for injury, death, or loss to person or property that allegedly arises out of the provider’s, officer’s, employee’s, or agent’s provision of information, facilities, or assistance in accordance with the terms of a court order that is issued in relation to the investigation or prosecution of an alleged violation of this section or section 4931.31 of the Revised Code.

(E) As used in this section:

(1) "Economic harm" means all direct, incidental, and consequential pecuniary harm suffered by a victim as a result of criminal conduct. "Economic harm" includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(a) All wages, salaries, or other compensation lost as a result of the criminal conduct;

(b) The cost of all wages, salaries, or other compensation paid to employees for time those employees are prevented from working as a result of the criminal conduct;

(c) The overhead costs incurred for the time that a business is shut down as a result of the criminal conduct;

(d) The loss of value to tangible or intangible property that was damaged as a result of the criminal conduct.

(2) "Caller" means the person described in division (A) of this section who makes or causes to be made a telecommunication or who permits a telecommunication to be made from a telecommunications device under that person’s control.

(3) "Telecommunication" and "telecommunications device" have the same meanings as in section 2913.01 of the Revised Code.

(4) "Sexual activity" has the same meaning as in section 2907.01 of the Revised Code.

(F) Nothing in this section prohibits a person from making a telecommunication to a debtor that is in compliance with the "Fair Debt Collection Practices Act," 91 Stat. 874 (1977), 15 U.S.C. 1692, as amended, or the "Telephone Consumer Protection Act," 105 Stat. 2395 (1991), 47 U.S.C. 227, as amended.

Effective Date: 03-30-1999

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Questions & Answers: Crimes Against Public Order or Safety

Lakeisha, This sounds like telephone harassment, since the purpose of the text messages seems clearly to be to harass you. Contact your local police department and report the hara...
I know that this is a law forum for NY, But are these also illegal in WV? I googled this and the black cat keychain, and nothing came up, but I don't want to get in trouble and no ...
If I overheard my principal on the phone with a parent telling the parent things that are untrue about my performance and performance evaluations, is that slander?...
threats of having someone killed, shot while at school, is this crimes Against Public Order or Safety by use of facebook, is this ...
by using facebook, threating to do harm to a inmate in a County Jail or Parent who is at work by describing her work location and going up there to have her shot...
I have been suspended from my job, pending an investigation.I have had my co-workers write complaints against me to the main office,telling them that I have been giving my phone nu...
See also:
Ohio Code > Title 29 > Chapter 2917 - Offenses Against The Public Peace
Comments (5)add comment
janice webb: ...
my husband and i are separated can he press telephone harassment charges on me for texting him about r daughter
1

February 14, 2012
Jack Freud: ...
Only if you use "r" in place of "our" in the texts.. jeez, learn to English!
2

December 27, 2012
Steven Daily: ...
Janice,
Your husband can try to press charges, but the police are unlikely to take him seriously unless there is something about the text messages which is abusive, threatening or harassing. If you text him every hour threatening him about your daughter, then don't be surprised if the police come knocking.

Steve Daily
LawServer
3

December 27, 2012
Lakeisha dodds: ...
A female was texting me about my kids father calling me out my and telling me she's been with him. I don't know how she got my number. Is this harassment?
4

May 04, 2013
Steven Daily: ...
Lakeisha,

This sounds like telephone harassment, since the purpose of the text messages seems clearly to be to harass you. Contact your local police department and report the harassing text messages.

Steve Daily
LawServer.com
5

May 04, 2013

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