Posted

May 28th 2009

Mood

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/05/manga-porn/

A 39-year-old office worker named Christopher Handley plead guilty for the possession of Japanese manga depicting underage characters in sexual situations and bestiality, without any evidence of being in possession of photographically depicted child pornography. He is the first US citizen to be tried for possessing cartoon art 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.” He is to face 15 years in jail.

Comic fans are simply appalled by the case, saying that jailing someone over manga does nothing for sexual abuse towards children.

"This stuff is huge in Japan, in all of Asia," Lunning says. "Handley," she adds, "is not a pedophile. He had no photographs of child pornography."

"He was a prolific collector," says the lawyer. "He did not focus on this type of manga. He collected everything that was out there that he could get his hands on. I think this makes a huge difference."