Be careful of shouta and loli

[dragonimp]

‘Obscene’ U.S. Manga Collector Jailed 6 Months

A U.S. comic book collector is being sentenced to six months in prison after pleading guilty to importing and possessing Japanese manga books depicting illustrations of child sex and bestiality.

Christopher Handley was sentenced in Iowa on Thursday, (.pdf) almost a year after pleading guilty to charges of possessing “obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children.”

The 40-year-old was charged under the 2003 Protect Act, which outlaws cartoons, drawings, sculptures or paintings depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and which lack “serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.” Handley was the nation’s first to be convicted under that law for possessing cartoon art, without any evidence that he also collected or viewed genuine child pornography.

...

Comic fans were outraged, saying jailing someone over manga does not protect children from sexual abuse.

This seems more like an abuse of the legal system than an actual effort to protect children.

Comments

[greedy-lover.livejournal.com]

It reminds me of this: a man ordered doujin (or something like that) the MAILMAN OPENED THE DUDE'S MAIL AND REPORTED HIM. Um WTF did the mailman not lose his fucking job opening people's private mail. And Also, it's manga, it's published books out there to be bought by the public so technically.. he should be a free man. this needs to be brought up. People have a right to own FICTIONAL porn of characters. It's not real life people... this is why karma needs to start working and kicking ass to those that deserve it. People really fucking suck >

[dragonimp.livejournal.com]

...Isn't opening someone else's mail more than slightly illegal...? Geez. People really do suck.

[nochick-fics.livejournal.com]

So manga lacks value, eh? What the fuck ever.

I just don't even have words for this bullshit. Seriously. Just ugh.

[dragonimp.livejournal.com]

I want to know who gets to decide whether things have "value," because it sure seems like a lot hinges on that arbitrary definition. (Although I don't get why drawings are even an issue, so long as there's no evidence that a child posed for them -_-)

[dormantdrake.livejournal.com]

*beats head against wall*

they're *cartoons*! they are *not* real people! no child was actually exploited or harmed... :(

[dragonimp.livejournal.com]

Exactly! DX Who the hell do they think they're protecting??

[anotherfmafan.livejournal.com]

I've been following this case since it started, and it's absolutely ridiculous. To think that here in America I have reason to worry over the big bad government coming to put me in prison for my banned books. It's enough to make you want to scream. They aren't even shota-style, but hey, Ed's a minor, so they gotta protect the children from me. *sighs*

[dragonimp.livejournal.com]

I know - and that's a really big fuzzy line they have there, too. Especially with that "artistic value" and the BS about "depictions that the defendant’s community would consider “obscene.”" So if he'd lived in, say, some parts of San Francisco, he might've been fine? I don't know what my community considers "obscene," I've never asked them.

[priestess-grrrl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it pisses me off, too, and it also kinda scares the shit out of me. I mean, are you seriously telling me my doujin collection could get me thrown in the pokey? Really now? WTF??

[dragonimp.livejournal.com]

Or if someone goes through my computer and finds some shouta fanart in my viewing history? Do I have to worry about that, now, too? Gotta protect all those fictional children -_-.

[randomcheeses.livejournal.com]

Logic weeps.

[dragonimp.livejournal.com]

Doesn't it just? =_=

[randomcheeses.livejournal.com]

Yep. Along with it's good friend Common Sense, Logic has emigrated to the Antarctic. Or at least, that's the only explanation I can find for the sheer stupidity.