A former Illinois Republican aide faces criminal charges for allegedly sending deepfake pornographic images to Democratic legislators who opposed a casino development project.

Timothy Pawula, previously chief of staff to former State Rep. Tim Ozinga (R-Mokena), is charged with transmitting obscene messages, harassment, and obscenity. The charges stem from incidents involving State Sen. Michael Hastings (D-Frankfort), State Rep. Bob Rita (D-Blue Island), and former Tinley Park mayoral candidate Ahleah Salefski.

The alleged victims shared a common thread: they all opposed plans to convert an abandoned mental health center in Tinley Park into a casino and racetrack. The project, supported by Ozinga, failed in 2023 after Hastings led efforts to sell the land to the Park District for alternative development.

Court documents reveal the explicit images were distributed in late 2022 using TextFree, an app chosen in an apparent attempt to hide the sender's identity. Rita, who serves as vice-chairman of the Illinois House gaming committee, received fake pornographic images depicting him with another elected official. Hastings reportedly received similar explicit content featuring himself and Governor JB Pritzker, while Salefski reported harassing texts and disturbing images.

"This is disturbing, that someone would actually create and distribute among anyone. Nobody should endure what's going on here," Rita told Patch.com.

Salefski, who ran on an anti-casino platform, expressed concern about the impact on her community reputation: "I'm a mom who's involved in a lot in our community. I wouldn't want that to happen to anyone else in our community, especially another female."

Neither former Rep. Ozinga nor Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz are implicated in the alleged harassment campaign.

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