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How Does the Miller Test Handle Loliporn?
Many people worry about whether owning, sharing, or creating certain types of animated sexual content could get them into legal trouble. One area of concern is loliporn, a type of animation that depicts minors in sexual situations. Even though this content is not created using real children, it can still lead to criminal charges of child pornography under federal law.
If you are being investigated or have been charged with a crime related to loliporn, you need to understand how the law applies to your case. The Miller test is one of the legal standards used to decide if certain types of content are illegal under obscenity laws. If you are facing federal charges, speaking with our experienced Illinois federal criminal defense attorney as soon as possible is critical.
What Is the Miller Test?
The Miller test comes from a 1973 Supreme Court case called Miller v. California. This test is used to determine if material is legally obscene. If something is obscene, it is not protected by the First Amendment, meaning the government can ban it. The Miller test asks three questions:
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Would the average person, using community standards, find that the material appeals to prurient (sexual) interests?
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Does the work, taken as a whole, describe or show sexual conduct in a way that is offensive by legal standards?
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Does the work lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value?
If the answer to all three questions is "yes," the material is considered obscene and can be illegal. Since loliporn is animated, some people argue that it should not be judged the same way as real images of child exploitation. However, courts have ruled that certain types of animated content can still be illegal.
How Can Loliporn Lead to Federal Charges?
Most cases involving sexually explicit material featuring minors fall under federal law. The main federal law used in these cases criminalizes certain types of visual depictions of minors in sexual content — even if no real children were involved.
Federal charges can happen if you possess, distribute, or create animated content that a court finds obscene under the Miller test; the content crosses state lines or is shared online, which brings it under federal jurisdiction; or law enforcement finds content on devices seized in an investigation, such as computers, hard drives, or cloud storage.
People charged with these crimes often first realize they are under investigation when federal agents, such as the FBI or Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), execute a search warrant. If agents search your home, seize your devices, or question you, you should not speak to them without a lawyer.
What Should You Do If You Are Under Investigation for Anime Child Porn?
If you believe you are being investigated for loliporn-related charges, do not try to handle the situation alone. Speaking with a federal criminal defense attorney immediately is the best way to protect yourself. An attorney can:
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Advise you on your rights and whether to cooperate with law enforcement.
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Examine how the Miller test applies to your case and whether the content in question is actually illegal.
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Challenge evidence obtained by investigators, including whether a search was done legally.
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Fight for a dismissal or reduced charges based on legal defenses.
Contact a Chicago, IL Federal Criminal Defense Attorney for a Free Consultation
Federal obscenity and child exploitation laws are complicated, and a conviction can lead to serious prison time and lifetime registration as a sex offender. If you are being investigated or have been charged with a crime related to loliporn, you need legal help from an Illinois federal criminal defense lawyer immediately. Contact Law Offices of Hal M. Garfinkel LLC, Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney today at 312-629-0669 for a free consultation to discuss your case. Your future is on the line — do not wait to get the defense you need.