Outcry as Chinese erotic writer jailed for more than 10 years over gay sex scenes in novel
- Sentence provokes shock and outrage as critics point out many rapists face lighter sentences than pornographers
- Novelist fell foul of pre-internet ruling that people who sold more than 5,000 erotic books should serve more than a decade in prison
An erotic writer in China has been sentenced to over a decade in prison for writing and selling a gay porn novel, sparking shock and outrage over the severity of her sentence.
The writer, surnamed Liu but better known by her internet alias Tianyi, was handed a 10-and-a-half year jail term for “producing and selling pornographic materials” last month, according to a television report on Friday.
The book that landed her into trouble was a 2017 novel named Occupy, which sold 7,000 copies through the internet.
The novel, about a forbidden love affair between a teacher and a student, was said to be filled with “graphic depictions of male homosexual sex scenes” tinged with violence, according to a television station in Anhui.
Pornography is illegal in China, but the hefty sentence given to Liu has ignited an uproar on social media.
