Fake mayoral Twitter account yields no charges

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — No charges will be filed over a fake Twitter account that purported to be a central Illinois mayor's lewd thoughts on sex and drugs.

Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis filed a criminal complaint over the matter, which led to police raiding a home last week, seizing computers and hauling residents in for questioning. That move sparked criticism that the mayor had abused his powers and violated free speech rights.

Peoria County State's Attorney Jerry Brady told the Journal Star (http://bit.ly/1f4Nj1Z ) on Wednesday that he won't bring charges in the matter, which police were investigating as possible case of impersonating a public official.

The relevant subsection of the Illinois law criminalizing the offense indicates it must be carried out in person and makes no mention of using the Internet or other electronic media, Brady said.

Ardis defended his actions at a City Council meeting Tuesday night, saying he felt his identity was stolen and that the comments posted online were "absolute filth."

"It went way over the line," Ardis said of the posts. "For that reason, my immediate reaction was a deeply personal one on behalf of my family and myself. As a person, I felt a victim of sexual doggerel and filth. It was filth. It was absolute filth."

The Twitter account was set up in late February or early March under the handle @Peoriamayor. It included a photo of Ardis, his city email address and a bio saying he enjoyed serving the city. Only later did it explicitly state it was a parody account, something Twitter requires under its terms of service.

After inquiries from police, Twitter suspended the account, but the police raid still happened several weeks later. Police seized drug paraphernalia and one resident arrested during the raid was charged with possession of marijuana.

Brady would not comment on whether the drug charge would remain, since the primary reason for the search warrant did not result in charges.

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Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com