Police in Ipswich, Australia have arrested Kurt James Milner, 28, for possession of pornographic images of . . . Marge Simpson and the Powerpuff Girls. We have previously discussed the controversy over whether cartoon or computer generated images can be pornography. This case will answer that question in Australia.
Notably, Milner had pornographic images of the Simpson children as opposed to Marge or (God help us) Patty or Selma Bouvier. I would like to believe that, given Lisa’s repeated defense of free speech, she would question the prosecution.
Milner insists that the images were a joke and not on his computer for sexual gratification. However, police say that he first refused access to his computer and later tried to delete the images (they were found in the recycle file).
The problem for Milner was magnified by the fact that in 2003 he was convicted of possessing child exploitation material after 59 sexual images of actual youngsters were found on his computer. He received two years probation but no conviction recorded.
By pleading guilty to this latest charge, he received a sentence of 12 months jail but it was wholly suspended for five years. A conviction was recorded.
The issue of cartoon pornography remains controversial. Some cases deal with the question of whether computer generated images of children, for example, constitute exploitation or a crime against children. The cartoon porn pushes the question even further to the extremes of the legal definition. I have serious free speech concerns with prosecuting people for the possession of cartoon porn despite the fact that I find it disgusting. As in this case (and here), however, the Australians appear committed to combating the abuse of innocent cartoon characters like the Powerpuffs Girls.
The real question, however, is whether Milner is really Comic Book Guy from the Simpson (making this a cartoon-on-cartoon crime).
JT, Please re-read the article you linked to. He was arrested for “graphic cartoon porn images featuring *child* characters from The Simpsons and The Powerpuff Girls TV shows.” That would be Bart and Lisa Simpson (the kids), not Marge Simpson (the mother, who you mentioned in the headline and have shown depicted in the accompanying photo). A simple Google image search reveals depictions of Bart and Lisa with with exaggerated genitalia engaged in acts of incest (you have to have safe search turned off). Curiously a search on “Powerpuff nude” also returns Simpson results, so somehow the Google algorithms recognize that at least in somebody’s mind, nude Simpsons and The Powerpuff depictions go hand-in-hand (no pun intended).
Comic Book Guy?
http://www.comixconnection.com/uploaded_images/comic-book-guy-explaining-753993.gif
Mespo: Great minds think alike. I thought that there was a striking similarity. I may have to add a comparison picture.
Alan:
Right you are. Much thanks. I made the change.
P.S., apparently Marge Simpson posed in Playboy. I’m not sure if that was in a real issue, in an episode of the cartoon, or just in an internet parody. That may have preceded and in some manner inspired the creation of the sexual depictions of Bart and Lisa. The Simpsons also have a younger daughter Maggie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maggie_Simpson . I didn’t see any depictions of her nude, but I did not search specifically for them (that would be really sick).
I think in a case such as this the totality of the circumstances would support a conviction or not. Unfortunately he had a prior record for children pictures. Apparently, I would feel the same way as the courts on this…
It it easier to bury live people in Australia than the US?
This post reminded me of something I’ve been wondering about for awhile. The opening scene of ‘Sweet Sweetback’s Badasssss Song’ (We rented it based on the awesome title) features a nude male child depicted engaging in sex with a mature woman. While the scene doesn’t particularly offend us, it surprised us greatly, and we were left wondering how such a film would be legal in the US (much less be allowed in the main section of a video rental place), as it appeared to be a case of child pornography. It’s certainly more explicit than a drawn picture of Lisa or Bart.
Hentai comics can be so realistic that it can be hard to tell the difference between a person and a cartoon. The evolution of fantasy art has raised concerns, but I think attributing the same to characters from the Simpsons stretches any law intended to address child pornography to a ridiculous extreme.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hentai
The problem for Milner was magnified by the fact that in 2003 he was convicted of possessing child exploitation material after 59 sexual images of actual youngsters were found on his computer. He received two years probation but no conviction recorded.
This is logically impossible. You can’t be convicted and not have a record not recorded or am I missing something, here. I know you can be late on one credit card and then they can Jack you on all of the others Credit Cards in your name.
But unless the Criminal Justice system in Australia is so totally different, why would they have a record of something that he was not convicted.
However, to answer the latent statement. Since, he has a prior charge (but was not convicted) it shows this creeps propensity for child endangerment. Did anyone notice if he also had an Ice Cream Truck too? Ok, this was a joke. But there have been some creeps that have been arrested for driving Ice Cream Trucks that have a life time prohibition from contact with minor children as they have been duly convicted of some child molestation charge…..
RE: Sweet Sweetback’s Badasssss Song
The film (1971) may have predated modern child pornography statutes, and any attempt to censor it at this point might run afoul of the First Amendment. See however this sentence, also from Wikipedia:
The Region 2 DVD release from BFI Video has the opening sex sequences altered. A notice at the beginning of the DVD states “In order to comply with UK law (the Protection of Children Act 1978), a number of images in the opening sequence of this film have been obscured.”
D’oh,
How are you doing today? How many personalities will shine today? Bdaman is acting somewhat intelligent. The depths of his/her information for being poor, black and underprivileged mystifies my senses of dignity. I suppose he is really Booker T. Washington type.
I guess he is one of the lucky ones that escaped the poverty issues and had family to rely upon for food, support and proper education. I suppose it is rough when you live in a one room shack and go to a multilevel one room school with others similarly situated. Not everyone has that opportunity. I do know a Sct Justice (not US) that did well despite his mother being a Prostitute and 4 of his brothers and sister had different fathers.
Not all can be so lucky…..
JT:
“Mespo: Great minds think alike.”
*******************
Well, maybe, but likely it was the rare intersection of a great mind with my juvenile one!
Anonymously Yours
“D’oh, How are you doing today? How many personalities will shine today? Bdaman is acting somewhat intelligent. The depths of his/her information for being poor, black and underprivileged mystifies my senses of dignity. I suppose he is really Booker T. Washington type. …”
—
Can’t you give it a rest? You’re turning into a cross-thread stalker. BTW, I remember Amon Re posting occasionally from several months ago. You’re just going to run people off by attacking them as alter-ego’s of someone else.
LottaK,
Point taken. I forgot Amon Re. How could I forget. You are correct.
Thank you AY.
Professor Turley can ID individuals to the extent that we need if there is a real problem and without suspicious suppositions from us regulars that are most often way off base with our guesses.
Well thank you guys for mentioning me….Im still here… Im a tough ole Missourian who aint afraid of anything….except maybe BIL when he is mad….
This shows that Australia is every bit as capable of legal stupidity as the USA.
I think that ALL the main Simson characters are over 20 years old now.
Personally I’ve always had a crush on Betty Rubble – such a cutey especially in those short dresses she wears. How she ended up witha chump like Barney has always had me stumped.
Would you all like me to tell you about my childhood?
the Simpson’s have been on the air for 20 year so the Simpson children would actually be over the age of 21 by now. depending as to when those picture where drawn in their 20 year careers. I guess they would have to check the cartoon characters id as to when they posed for the pornographic images in question. You would also have to blame and take the parents Marge and Homer to trial. Will they be called in to testify?
“A simple Google image search reveals depictions of Bart and Lisa with with exaggerated genitalia engaged in acts of incest (you have to have safe search turned off). ”
Oh no, Alan spilled the beans and now we’ll have to ban the Google all together.