Report: Local Man Faces Jail For E-Mail

The Huffington Post says an unemployed Philadelphia man faces two years in jail after he allegedly sent a harassing e-mail to Sen. Jim Bunning using an online nickname.

Writer Arthur Delaney says Bruce Shore, 51, of Philadelphia has been indicted in Kentucky for sending complaints to Bunning (pictured, left) after the former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher blocked unemployment benefits in Congress in February.

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Shore got into trouble because he apparently used an online pseudonym, Brad Shore From Louisville, in the e-mails.

Shore told the Huffington Post that he used the assumed name because he thought the chances of Bunning getting his email would be better if he said he was from Kentucky, Bunning’s home state.

He also revealed one email to the Huffington Post that said, "ARE you'all insane … NO checks equal no food for me. DO YOU GET IT??"

The brief indictment in the case cites a part of the U.S. code that applies to telephone and other conversations that can be seen as annoying, harassing or threatening.

Here is the section of the criminal code, which is also stated in the indictment:

“Prohibit[s] whoever in interstate or foreign communications acts generally makes a telephone call or utilizes a telecommunications device, whether or not conversation or communication ensues, without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person at the called number or who receives the communications.”

The indictment does not contain the texts of the email sent by Shore.

But the charges bring a maximum of two years in jail and fines.

The case could attract the interest of civil liberties attorneys, because of the broad nature of the charges.

Most Web users don’t know that most of their communications can be easily traced by government officials because email and other providers keep records of the sender’s unique IP, or computer address, on the Internet.

Also, laws such Communications Decency Cct allow people who have been libeled on the Internet to compel Web sites to identify anonymous critics, if so ordered by a judge.