For those of you not familiar with Manga, it is a comic or print cartoon from Japan.  There are many types that you can purchase or read it for free online.  Under the PROTECT Act (18 U.S.C. Section 1466A), Christopher Handley is now facing up to 20 years in prison for purchasing manga.

Handley purchased the manga in question legally from Japan in May 2006 and had it shipped to his home in the United States.  A postal inspector opened the mail and that’s when the trouble began.  The government now claims that the manga was obscene and depicts minors in sexual situations.  The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is now helping him with his case.

According to CBDLF’s site, Handley’s situation began in May 2006 after a postal inspector at his local post office in Glenwood, Iowa, intercepted a package addressed to Handley from Japan and searched its contents. After deciding the content of the books depicted minors engaged in sexual acts, the inspector applied for a search warrant. The post office allowed Handley to pick up the package and law enforcement officers pulled his vehicle over and eventually followed him home.

At Handley’s residence, the police then seized his collection of manga, DVDs, VHS tapes, laser disks, computers and various documents. In a follow-up article, Handley’s case took a small victory but the case is far from over. In an updated report by Anime News Network, some of Handley’s charges were dropped July 2, 2008.

The trial is set to begin on 2 February 2009.