Accuser ‘infuriated’ after Blackhawks farmhand cleared in revenge porn case

The woman who charged Chicago Blackhawks minor leaguer Garret Ross for participating in "revenge porn" was deeply disturbed by the case's dismissal and the team's decision to quickly reinstate him.

"I was infuriated when I read about (the Blackhawks') decision. I was sitting at my desk at work literally shaking I was so mad," Ross' accuser told Stacy St. Clair of The Chicago Tribune.

"I saw it coming, but it still was devastating, especially since it was made known that the charges were dropped due to jurisdiction issues, not due to lack of evidence."

Ross was charged in Illinois with one felony count of non-consensual dissemination of a private sexual image - also known as "revenge porn" - but the prosecution ended Tuesday afternoon because it was discovered Ross was in Michigan when he allegedly distributed the video in question.

The Blackhawks' farmhand was suspended by the club pending the result of the legal process, and he was reinstated Tuesday evening, paving the way for his return to the AHL's Rockford IceHogs.

"What bothered me the most was that it took the Blackhawks 40 days after Ross was booked and charged to suspend him, but less than 10 hours to reinstate him," the accuser said.

"That right there shows how the organization feels about issues like this. … The Blackhawks organization turned a blind eye, when they easily could have set an example within their organization that they do not tolerate this kind of behavior."

A Blackhawks spokesman and Ross' attorney both declined to comment when reached by The Tribune.

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