Australian Judge Declares Cartoon Characters Are ‘People’ in CP Case

SYDNEY — A supreme court judge of an Australian province handed down a decision this week that conflated animated depictions of children having sex with actual pictures of children having sex.

Justice Michael Adams of the New South Wales Supreme Court wrote for the majority in the co-called "Simpsons" case, named because the accused party involved produced cartoons featuring the characters from the long-running Fox TV show performing sex acts.

The accused man, Alan John McEwan, had been appealing a previous conviction for possessing child pornography. His cartoons show such popular characters as Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson having sex. His original punishment had been a $3,000 fine and a good behavior bond.

The larger implication in the judge's decision is his declaration that the cartoon characters depicted in this case were "people" in the legal sense of the term – in Australia, at least.

"In my view, the magistrate was correct in determining that, in respect of both the commonwealth and the [New South Wales] offences, the word 'person' included fictional or imaginary characters," the judge said, later adding, "The mere fact that the figure depicted departed from a realistic representation in some respects of a human being did not mean that such a figure was not a 'person.'"

Related:  

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Nebraska Legislature Passes Republican's Age Verification Bill With No Votes Against It

Nebraska’s unicameral legislature has passed the state’s version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.

Performers in Meta Blacklisting Lawsuit Seek to Preserve Antitrust Claims

Adult Performance Artists Guild board officers Alana Evans, Kelly Pierce and Ruby have informed a California court that, although they want to drop their lawsuit claiming that Meta conspired with OnlyFans to blacklist rival premium fan platforms’ talent, they may still have antitrust claims that they may pursue in the future.

FSC, Co-Plaintiffs to Ask US Supreme Court to Review Constitutionality of Texas Age Verification Law

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) and its co-plaintiffs in the challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law have filed a petition before the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit asking to stay its recent upholding the law because they intend to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to review the law’s constitutionality.

FSC Vows to Fight Florida Age Verification Law

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) issued a statement vowing to continue fighting Florida’s age verification law, which was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday as part of a comprehensive bill targeting minors’ use of social media.

Kansas Republican Aims to Create New Bureaucracy to 'Investigate' Porn Websites

Republican state legislators succeeded Monday in moving forward Kansas’ version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists, despite serious concerns raised by House Democrats about the cost of establishing a new bureaucracy tasked with investigating websites for pornographic content.

Industry Attorney, Free Speech Champion Clyde DeWitt Passes Away at 75

Noted industry attorney Clyde DeWitt passed away on Friday in Las Vegas at 75, according to friends and colleagues.

Texas AG Ken Paxton Sues Chaturbate, xHamster Over Controversial Age Verification Law

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed lawsuits on Tuesday against the parent companies of Chaturbate and xHamster, claiming that the sites are not complying with the state’s controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

GirlsDoPorn's Michael Pratt Extradited From Spain, Pleads 'Not Guilty'

Former GirlsDoPorn owner Michael Pratt made his first appearance in federal court Tuesday following his extradition from Spain Monday night, according to a statement released by the Department of Justice.

Missouri Republican Behind FOSTA-SESTA Renews Attack on OnlyFans

Rep. Ann Wagner, the Missouri Republican legislator who was the original architect of FOSTA-SESTA, has renewed her call for federal action against OnlyFans.

Idaho Legislature Passes Republican Age Verification Bill With Full Democratic Support

The Idaho legislature has passed the state’s version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.

Show More