– It is important to ban this type of material as well, so that curiosity does not lead to physical abuse of real children later, says Kristin Anette Skjebstad, police chief in the East police district. On 28 February this year, a man in his 20s from Østfold sat in the district court. There he was sentenced to one year and eleven months in prison for, among other things, possessing child abuse material. Of the over 10,000 images and videos the man had, most were animated. So not of real children. The police have seen several examples of this. Kristin Anette Skjebstad, police superintendent in the East police district, believes that many people are not aware that drawings and animations that sexualize children are also illegal. Photo: The police – We learn that many people we interrogate are not aware that such material is illegal, says Skjebstad. Sexualization of Japanese culture Cartoons and animation in the Japanese style of manga and anime are popular far beyond Japan’s borders. In this fantasy universe there is also a category called hentai; Manga with pornographic content. Hentai is mostly legal, just like other pornography. But with artistic freedom has also emerged a market for drawings and animations that sexualize minors. This is an example of an image/animation that the police are targeting. This image is legal, but it is the same type of animation that can be used illegally. Photo: Pixabay – The West tends to portray Japanese culture in a sexualized way. This goes back many years and right up to today, including through pornographic content made in Japanese manga and anime style, also outside Japan. That’s what Rebecca Suter says to news. She is an associate professor in Japan studies at the University of Oslo. Curiosity can lead to real abuse These illegal drawings and animations are downloaded on the internet and the so-called dark web. The police often find such material together with other abuse material when they seize computers and mobile phones. The fact that drawings and animations do not affect real people does not make it less punishable, says Skjebstad: – We see that people who have a sexual attraction to children have also saved this type of cartoons, because they have been curious, Skjebstad explains. The same penalties apply to drawings and animations as to abuse material with real children, but the punishment is usually somewhat milder. Since this material is based on fantasy, the transition between illegal and legal can be somewhat fluid. The police emphasize that if there is any doubt as to age, a photo will never be considered illegal. – The child in the cartoon must appear to be under 18 years of age. We look at things like clothing, objects, where the photo was taken, body type, text bubbles and the like.
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Sexualized drawings of children are illegal – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
