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AU Judge Separates 'Anime' Child Porn, But Says It Is Illegal

posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins

The Queensland Times newspaper reports on Friday on a conviction of an Ipswich, Australia man who pleaded guilty to "using a carriage service to access child exploitation material." Officials found that Brentford Paul Higgins had viewed 178 child pornography images on his computer between October 2006 and May 2008. According to the newspaper, the defense attorney Bradley Farr said that 32 of those 178 images were "cartoon anime child porn" in which actual children were not harmed.

During the trial, Judge Sarah Bradley said that while cartoon child porn was abhorrent and accessing it should remain illegal, it was not as serious as material involving actual children. Bradley added that it was important for the courts to recognize that some of the material viewed involved actual victims.

Higgins was sentenced to 12 months in jail and two years probation, but he was released immediately on a AU$1,000 (US$900) good-behavior bond for three years.

In January another Ipswich man, Kurt James Milner, was also sentenced to 12 months in jail for using a carriage service to access child exploitation material. In that case, officials found virtual child pornographic images of characters from The Simpsons and The Powerpuff Girls animated series, and The Incredibles animated movie on his computer. The 28-year-old's sentence was wholly suspended for five years, and he was given a AU$1,000 good behavior bond for five years. According to The Queensland Times article regarding the case, the sentence was harsh because Milner had previously been convicted in 2003 of possessing 59 sexual images of actual children on his computer.

Thanks to J.K. for the news tip.


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