Comics --> Jailtime + semi-relevant rant

[doc_moreau]

So, i guess someone has recently been convicted and will soon be sentenced for possessing porn. "Child porn?" you may ask? Well, not exactly. Actually it's not even real porn at all.
Here's the article about guy getting convicted for buying and possessing pornographic comics.That's a bit worrisome. Though, he pleaded guilty... which is odd. I

Comments

[chris_sawyer]

They are prosecuting kids... who have naked photos of their own naked boyfriend/girlfriend. And locking the kids up.

You know, locking up these kids, to... protect kids.

We have gone way beyond batshit insane at this point. It's like living in STAZI partolled east germany, only instead of dissent against the government that gets you whisked away in the night, it's the subject of getting sexuality and children anywhere near each other.

[chibiabos]

Every time I think the U.S. cannot stoop any lower in oppressiveness, I am proven wrong. :(

[penanggalan]

My first boyfriend was 18 and I was 12. He, to this day, seems horrified of me accusing him of rape or child molestation. I don't get it... only a few decades ago, it was perfectly acceptable for a MUCH older man to date a just-hit-puberty girl. I think it is in human nature to sexually desire the youthful and perfectly acceptable as long as the youngest party is at least growing pubes. Throw me in prison, I must have the mindset of a pedophile for supporting the laws of nature above the laws of man!!!11

[doc_moreau]

Human beings on average reach puberty around age 12... and, well... that is the body saying it's ready to reproduce. Who would deny that?
Is it really surprising then that instances will arise where that magic "18" line is crossed? It's certainly not as black and white as the law wishes it could be, and the grey area is a span of several teenage years.
And you bring up a good point... desiring the youthful would be a good strategy, from an evolutionary standpoint. So undoubtedly it is coded into us somewhere.

I think we as a culture also forget sometimes that in plenty of other cultures, the laws or rules are a lot different. Hell, in some places a girl gets given to her husband when she's still a child. We might see that as warped, but who are we to judge others

[bladehorse]

Child predators(If only) and gay ppl that want to MARRY???? OMFG theres our new ppl to pick on!! Comon join in Its Fun and you get to join the Religious right for Free! Yes act now and you too will be given an express lane to heaven and those pearly gates! (Just ignore that part about judge noone lest you be judged yourself) That doesnt apply right now... :p

[spiffystuff]

Eh, I disagree that it's something that society should be "accepting" of (sorry, no - think all you want but I don't have to like it or pretend to be okay with it)
BUT I don't like ILLUSTRATIONS being banned. Any material involving actual minors being exploited or abused, yes, but illustrations? No one was hurt. I don't care if someone says "but it could encourage someone to develop their fetish until they do hurt someone!" no - punish the CRIME, not "things that might lead to crime maybe"

[doc_moreau]

I don't think i said anything anywhere about thinking real or imagined pedophilia should be acceptable ...i was just saying that it's not going to go away just because the law tightens its grip. It's only going to become more prominent as we demonize increasingly less 'guilty' people. (meaning when we really stretch the law to the limit to persecute someone who hasn't done anything wrong, like the comic-collector in question.)

Anyhow, i think if anything, illustrations are an outlet for people to express themselves (even if they're only expressing themselves to their own four walls) and might be the major factor that keeps them from acting on those things. I don't think it's a gateway to actual crime, i think it's more likely to be a fence.

[spiffystuff]

Ah, true.
As to gateway vs fence... honestly I don't know? It seems to me someone who's going to act out on those impulses are going to act out on them whether or not they have access to comics, and the people who just have a weird fantasy and will never act out on it probably won't - the comics might help them with that or maybe not.

I know plenty of people who have "harmful" fetishes but would never act out on them, so I know for them any art is just an outlet or fantasy. I don't know much about people who actually become sex offenders, so I don't know what (if anything) causes them to do it.

Regardless of whether it's a gateway or no, I don't like "preventative" prosecution... punish the crime, not other things that may or may not be an indicator someone might commit the crime but aren't actually harmful themselves. :P