Harmful online sharing of officers’ personal details would carry felony penalties

People who intentionally share an officer’s personal information electronically on a public website or forum would face a third-degree felony if every required test is met. The officer must be identifiable from the shared information itself. The speech and reporting exceptions described below would apply. The person must intend to cause a major disruption in the officer’s life. The person must also intend harm or harassment, or recklessly disregard a reasonable likelihood of death, bodily injury, or a violation of Ohio section 2903.211. The sharing must cause the officer significant financial harm, emotional distress, or fear of serious injury or death for themselves or a covered family or household member. Covered family includes current or former household members who are spouses, former spouses, partners living as spouses, foster parents, or relatives by blood or marriage of the officer or those spouses or partners. It also includes a child’s natural parent when the officer is or is alleged to be the other natural parent.

The prohibition would exclude protected speech, sharing information with the press, reporting suspected unlawful conduct, and lawfully authorized investigative, protective, or intelligence work by law enforcement or U.S. intelligence agencies. Constitutionally protected speech, journalism, protest, assembly, and petitions would be exempt. Giving personal information to the press would also be exempt. Reports of unlawful conduct must rest on a reasonable belief that the conduct is unlawful. For reports of crimes to law enforcement, the person must reasonably believe the alleged crime occurred. Agency work must be lawfully authorized investigative, protective, or intelligence activity by a law enforcement agency or a U.S. intelligence agency. The person sharing the information must reasonably believe the activity is legitimate. The listed internet, telephone, mobile, and cable providers would be protected only when acting as service providers.