A Houston man stands accused of threatening to stab every employee in Gov. Greg Abbott's (R-TX) office over laws he said 'blocked' his access to anime, reports show.
Joseph Roy Ozment, 35, was charged with making a terroristic threat — a third-degree felony that carries up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine — according to KXAN.
The Texas Department of Public Safety accused Ozment of calling the Governor's Constituent Communications line on July 25 and leaving a voicemail demanding officials repeal the laws, KXAN reported.
Investigators say the affidavit does not identify which anime Ozment was trying to watch or which website was involved.
"I'm a f—ing stab every godd— one of you b—-es," Ozment is accused of saying, according to KXAN. "Unlock my f—ing anime."
The message was forwarded to the DPS Executive Protection Bureau, which tracked the phone to Cypress, Texas through an emergency location ping, KXAN reported.
The employee who first reviewed the voicemail told investigators he was "in fear not only for his life but also for his coworkers' and the general public at the [office]," the affidavit said.
A DPS special agent wrote that the message was designed to put staff "in fear of serious injury" or to pressure "the executive branch of the state government to change legislation," the affidavit said.
Court records obtained by FOX 7 Austin show Ozment posted a $5,000 bond. He must undergo a mental health evaluation, is barred from possessing firearms, and must stay away from the Capitol Complex and the Governor's Office.
Texas has not banned anime, but Abbott has signed three laws since 2023 that restrict access to certain online content, KXAN reported.
House Bill 1181, a 2023 law requiring adult websites to verify the age of visitors, prompted Pornhub and other sites to block all Texas users rather than comply, the Statesman reported.
Abbott also signed the App Store Accountability Act in May 2025, which requires Apple and Google to verify users' ages before allowing app downloads, Reuters reported.
Ozment's voicemail complained that his Google account confirmed he was over 18 — pointing directly at that law, FOX 7 Austin reported.
A third law, Senate Bill 20, signed by Abbott in June 2025, made it a felony to possess obscene visual material depicting a minor — including cartoons and animations, FOX 7 Austin reported. Some anime falls within that definition.
"Safety and online privacy for Texas children remains a priority," Abbott's press secretary said in an August 2025 press release explaining the App Store Accountability Act. Abbott made no direct public comment on the laws' effects on adult users.
"The statement probably wouldn't have been alleged as a crime, but for the last sentence of what he said in the voicemail," Austin criminal defense attorney Sam Bassett, who is not affiliated with the case, told FOX 7 Austin. "Threatening an aggravated assault, and if taken seriously, it's certainly a serious situation for people on the governmental staff."