Eric Chase, attorney for Christopher Handley, the defendant in an upcoming manga obscenity case brought under the PROTECT Act (see “Partial Victory in Handley Case Ruling”), has revealed that the titles for which Handley was charged include yaoi titles in an interview with MTV’s Splash Page.   According to Chase, yaoi titles that included androgynous characters without pubic hair (which is frequently not depicted for adults in Japan) were among the titles that led to the charges.

Comic writer and novelist Neil Gaiman went off on the charges in the same article, pointing out that he had comics in his collection that could be charged under the same law.  Handley faces a minimum five year prison sentence if he’s found guilty of the charges.  Trial begins December 2nd.

The defense is being assisted by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which recently updated its Website.