i'm about to launch a user-generated content site... it primarily targets manga (jap comics) fans and users are allowed to display external images (like scans) through my website.. and if there is manga, then there always exist its hentai equivalent. i'm expecting many users will actually display hentai manga images through my site. i have my own rules in the website.. users are not allowed to post adult images depicting children before 13 years old.. but i do allow them to post adult cartoon/drawn/comic images of minors aged 13-17.. i prohibit real adult images of minors below 18.. i ban users who violate the rules.. it seems the definition of child porn in the US is not solid.. i've researched a bit and in most cases those who are arrested for child porn are those who possess adult images of pre-pubescent (below 13) children.. so now, i'm thinking of having hostgator as my host.. it's based in US and prohibits child porn.. i personally asked them about this matter and they said they're not sure because they are not lawyers.. what i want to ask now is if my site will be ok with hostgator.. will they be strict?? will they actually deactivate my site if they saw say a high school hentai manga?? it seems the US authorities are only hunting those with pre-pubescent adult collections.. the adult images' depictions in my site are all post-pubescent (but technically most depections, though over 12, are under 18, fitting inside US laws' defintion of a child).. just wanna know your insights on this issue..
While I do not agree or condone anything you are doing here. I would do two things: A.) Call your local FBI office and ask them B.) Call hostgator and find out if they are good with it. If you do those two things, then I am sure you will: a.) Be arrested b.) Be banned from your Host
Hentai? Isn't that like drawings? Technically I don't think that you can distinguish the age of someone depicted in a drawing unless its very blatant.. That's the legal aspect, but from prier experiance with hosts most of them do not want to deal w/ anything remotely against there TOU. I don't condone what your doing but I figure your best option would be to go offshore to avoid being banned from every host you try...
actually this issue is the only thing left preventing me from launching my site.. if i can just prohibit all the adult content.. BUT I CAN'T.. the thing is my site is user-generated.. i have limited control on the content of my site.. i'll be using adsense for my ads and you know that adsense can't be placed in pages showing adult content.. many of hentai manga depicts 13-17 yr old minors (middle/high school students, etc.).. if i don't add an outlet for hentai fans to put their own pages, they'll put the hentai images in non-hentai categories.. and for sure adsense will ban my account.. that's why i added an outlet for them to add adult drawn images depicting 13-17 year olds. problem now is the legal aspect. well, i guess i'll just stick with offshore hosts.. if you want to suggest an offshore host, please find my post in the General Business subforum and post your reply there..