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Canadian Man Jailed for 'Anime' & Real Child Pornography
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
Randy Taylor of St. Catharines, Ontario was sentenced to nine months in prison and three years of probation at the Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines on Tuesday, after authorities found 132 images and five videos of what they described as child pornography on his computer. Of the 132 images, 12 depicted real children and 120 were "anime, or Japanese animated pictures." Taylor pleaded guilty to the charges.
Toronto police arrested Taylor on September 14. He expressed interest in child pornography and shared links with a police officer during a chat room sting operation. He has no prior criminal record.
Acting Niagara North attorney Marquis Felix stated that despite the images depicting fictional characters, they are still dangerous.
"Although the photos are not of real children, they are still offensive, they are still reflective of child pornography" Felix said in the Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines. He added, "He shouldn't be congratulated for having anime instead of real children."
Taylor's full sentence includes nine months in prison, three years of probation; a lifetime ban from using a computer to communicate with individuals under the age of 16; a lifetime ban from engaging in volunteer work or employment with authority over individuals under 16; a 10-year prohibition from attending public parks, swimming areas, or a playground where children under the age of 16 may be present; a 10-year enrollment on the sex offender registry; and during probation, he cannot use a computer, unless under adult supervision with the consent of his probation officer.
German resident Markus Balzer was arrested and sentenced to 10 months in prison in New Zealand in March for manga images depicting child sexual abuse on his laptop. Ronald Clark, a New Zealand man, was sentenced in April to three months in jail for possessing and viewing Japanese anime that depicted fantasy creatures having sex. The characters' depictions as young, child-like creatures led to concerns by officials that the anime could illicit real-world child abuse.
Source: Welland Tribune
