An Illinois man who created a spoof Twitter account in the name of the Peoria mayor is taking his case to federal court.

Jon Daniel says he modeled the satire on other fake accounts that lampooned hockey and football stars. Many of his tweets included profane messages about sex, drugs and alcohol.

Mayor Jim Ardis saw the spoof as an attempt to steal his identity. Police later raided Daniels' home, igniting a debate about online humor and free speech.

Daniel says he never intended for the account to be seen by anyone other than his friends. And it never attracted more than a few dozen followers.

With help from the American Civil Liberties Union, he's filed a lawsuit that alleges the city violated his civil rights.