Court bailiffs showed pornographic books and discs to the defendant in court
Yesterday, 45-year-old Lin from Henan Province appeared nervous as she sat in the defendant's seat. When the prosecutor asked her, "Do you know that selling illegal publications and obscene books in a certain quantity entails criminal responsibility?" She lowered her head and said, "I don't know." She said she thought selling pornographic books would just result in a fine, at most an administrative detention.
Lin was sentenced to four years in prison by the Yanta District People's Court for selling over two thousand pornographic books and other items in the Xi'an urban area. The involved illicit goods were confiscated. It is understood that this case was supervised by the national "anti-pornography and anti-illegal publications" office. Over a hundred administrative law enforcement officers from 11 cities (districts) across the province, 13 districts and counties of Xi'an, and relevant municipal departments, as well as personnel engaged in the publishing and distribution industry, attended the trial.
The national "anti-pornography and anti-illegal publications" office supervised this case
The Yanta District People's Procuratorate accused Lin, a woman from Henan Province, of purchasing illegal publications, obscene books, obscene playing cards, and obscene discs from Bao (handled separately) multiple times since April this year for profit, then selling them.
On June 25, Zhang, Wang, and two others (all handled separately) were caught by the Yanta District Cultural Market Administrative Law Enforcement Team while selling illegal publications purchased from Lin at the North Square of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. On the spot, they seized and confiscated 213 illegal publications.
On July 2, when Lin instructed her husband Qiao (handled separately) to sell 50 illegal publications to Zhang, they were caught on the spot by the police. The police discovered and confiscated 2236 books of 67 kinds, 57 decks of playing cards (6156 cards), 59 discs, and 864 illegal publications from their rented residence. After identification, all 67 kinds of books were found to be obscene illegal publications. "Golden Boy Jade Girl" and other 50 discs (another 9 discs had no content) and 57 specially made landlord-fighting poker decks were also identified as obscene materials.
It was introduced that this case has become one supervised by the national "anti-pornography and anti-illegal publications" office. The National Anti-Pornography and Illegal Publications Office required thorough investigation and strict punishment. The Publicity Department of the Provincial Committee, the Provincial Press and Publication Bureau, the Publicity Department of the Municipal Committee of Xi'an, the Culture, Radio, Television, and Press Publication Bureau of Xi'an City, and the Cultural Market Administrative Law Enforcement Corps held several case briefings with the special investigation team to deploy investigation and handling work.
The defendant pretended to be sick in an attempt to evade punishment
In court, Lin stated that she sold books on Dongliu Road in Xincheng District, and it was a colleague who introduced her to Bao from Henan who sold pirated books. Since April this year, she purchased these pornographic books and playing cards three times through freight from Henan.
When the prosecutor asked how she obtained the pornographic discs, Lin claimed she didn't know, "Perhaps my husband borrowed them and watched them at home," but the prosecutor immediately refuted her claim, stating that the discs were found in the house Lin rented in Baihua Village, Weiyang District, along with other illegal publications.
When the prosecutor cited multiple witness testimonies proving that Lin began selling pirated books in 2008 and 2009, Lin denied it. In response, the prosecutor questioned her attitude towards confession, saying, "During the investigation phase, half a month after the first interrogation of the defendant, she was forced to confess about co-defendant Bao," and pointed out that Lin had feigned illness multiple times in an attempt to evade punishment, but no ailments were found upon examination.
According to the prosecutor's accusation, besides the involved obscene materials, Lin also engaged in the sale of other illegal publications amounting to 1127 copies. After a two-and-a-half-hour trial, the presiding judge announced the verdict in court.
By reporter Ning Jun and Li Biao