A bill targeting mugshot-publishing websites that charge fees for removing or editing booking records cleared the Ohio House on Wednesday.
Websites such as Mugshots.com collect booking photos and information through public records requests and post them online. That information is rarely updated after a person is released and not charged or a record is sealed. Names and photos can be found online years after an arrest.
The websites or separate companies often charge hundreds or thousands of dollars to remove those records.
House Bill 6, which passed 88-4, would ban the practice in Ohio. The legislation now goes to the Senate for consideration.
“Some people call it extortion. Some people call it a racket,” bill sponsor Rep. John Barnes, a Cleveland Democrat, said Wednesday on the House floor. “Because when you find the information has been published and you call and ask, they not only will remove it but they want you to pay $200, $400, $500, $600 to have it removed.”
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