Associated Press.  ran in NY Daily News, p. 10, July 5, 2001.

Columbus Ohio.  A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for writing in his personal diary stories about the torturing of children (using real names) although the entries proved to be fictitious.  According to the American Civil Liberties Union this sentence has interesting implications regarding U.S. pedophile laws, prosecutions and sentences.  Prosecutors contend the prosecution, conviction, and sentence are legal because the law states he "did create, reproduce or publish any obscene material that has a minor as one of its participants or portrayed observers", and, in comment, prosecutors contended that "even without passing it on to anyone else, he committed a felony".  Anyone want to visit V.N. in prison?

It would be interesting to see how this plays out in the appellate courts BUT since the sentenced man was "copped" into pleading guilty as part of plea bargain "gone wrong", he cannot appeal.

Kurt Johnson