‘Child porn’ comic books by Ken Akamatsu removed from Cairns council libraries

A series of comic books depicting children as young as 10 in graphic and non-consensual sex will be pulled from the shelves of Cairns libraries.

A series of comic books depicting children as young as 10 in graphic and non-consensual sex will be pulled from the shelves of Cairns libraries.

Cairns Regional Council’s library catalogue showed half a dozen books by Ken Akamatsu, a Japanese manga artist turned politician, listed as young adult fiction but contain “highly confronting” images of nudity and violent sex involving childlike characters.

One character is described as 10 years old.

The books will be removed from the council libraries after Caravonica resident Paul Fordyce wrote to the interim CEO John Andrejic and Cairns mayor Amy Eden calling for the “child pornography” to be banned.

“This imagery depicts nudity, ‘up skirting’, non-consensual sexual touching and minors engaged in sexual activity, including in some cases incest themes,” he said.

“The characters in these series are also part of a highly confronting online pornographic ‘ecosystem’.

Cairns Regional Council libraries stock sexualised young adult manga comics, which have been banned in several other Queensland councils. The Cairns Post has chosen not to republish some of the more graphic content in the books.

“Children who borrow these books from Cairns Regional Council libraries and then search for information about them online are likely to be exposed to this extremely explicit pornography.

“Who could seriously call this material suitable for children?”

A Cairns Regional Council spokeswoman said on Thursday the books would be removed from the library catalogue.

“Individuals with concerns around classification can make independent complaints through the Federal Government’s Australian Classification board,” she said.

“Council remains dedicated to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of our community.”

It comes amid national attention of the risks social media poses on children, with Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek and other senior government members throwing their support behind News Corp’s campaign to limit social media access to age 16.

“A lot of kids are learning their sex education from violent and degrading images online,” Ms Plibersek recently told Sky News.

Cairns Regional Council libraries until Thursday stocked copies of Ken Akamatsu comics that have been pulled from shelves in several Queensland libraries. Picture: Brendan Radke

“The average first age of watching pornography in Australia is 10-years-old … and they’re watching violent stuff like choking, anal sex – before they’ve had their first kiss.”

Akamatsu’s books have caused controversy across the world including in the author’s home country where he has lobbied politicians on child pornography and argued anime and manga is fictional.

In the past year Akamatsu’s books have pulled from Queensland library shelves in Townsville, Banana Shire, Central Highlands, Gladstone, Somerset, Southern Downs and Western Downs after a dogged campaign by conservative activist Bernard Gaynor.

A Gladstone Regional Council spokesperson said while the books weren’t forbidden by the Australian Classification Board, the content was “enough to question their appropriateness”.

Other councils said the comics were removed from online catalogues as they were missing, rarely borrowed or in poor condition, or did not cite any reason.

Mr Gaynor has also pushed for the removal of the multi-award winning book Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe which details the author’s experience as coming out as non-binary. It has become one of the most banned books in America and is now being challenged in the Australian Federal Court.

Originally published as ‘Child porn’ comic books by Ken Akamatsu removed from Cairns council libraries