The Chicago Blackhawks sat forward prospect Garrett Ross for a handful of games early last week with the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs – and now that the reasoning behind the preliminary healthy scratches has come to light, he’s been suspended indefinitely.
The Blackhawks confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that Ross, who is currently facing felony charges on one count of “non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images”, is suspended by the team from all team activities pending a resolution. Per Chris Kuc, here’s the team’s official statement:
Full #Blackhawks statement on prospect Garret Ross: pic.twitter.com/TWCJ6aupAB
— Chris Kuc (@ChrisKuc) March 23, 2016
Under Illinois State law, Ross, a draft selection of the Blackhawks from the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, could be facing quite a hefty punishment. Passed in 2015, Illinois’ ‘revenge porn laws’ – nicknamed such due to the prevalence of non-consensual distribution of sexual images coming from former sexual or romantic partners of the victim – are treated as a form of sexual assault and are considered a class 4 felony. Punishment for Ross, should he be found guilty in court, could include anywhere from 1-3 years in jail and a $25,000 fine.
The laws were specifically created to be proactive in the harmful practice of cyberbullying, and don’t carry an onus on the prosecution to prove harmful intent by the defendant in order to prove guilt. While the law isn’t a federal measure yet, the legislators who passed the state law hope to see this change in the future.
For more information on Illinois’ revenge porn laws, visit the Illinois General Assembly Official Site.
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