The Extreme Porn Act

In 2003, schoolteacher Jane Longhurst was murdered by a Mr Graham Coutts who was 'obsessed with violent internet pornography'. He was sentenced in 2004, and Jane Longhurst's mother, Liz, vowed to campaign to have the sites she holds 'responsible' for Jane's death made illegal.

Enter section 62 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill.

Brought in because stopping people watching this 'grossly offensive' (thanks Lord Hunt) material will apparently stop them wanting to go out and kill people. And before you've killed/harmed/raped anyone, you're a criminal.

The legal wording of these things is up it's own arse as these things usually are, but basically it will be illegal to own any image or video where 'extreme' violence (or the threat of such) and pornography meet, even if those captured on film are consenting adults. Even though the acts themselves aren't illegal.

It isn't illegal for us to consensually 'threaten' and 'plead' and dominate and submit. It isn't illegal for us to consensually play with knives, needles and whips and smack each other about in the confines of our own bedroom. it isn't illegal for us to bend over and taking a caning, and neither is it illegal to indulge in tit torture - or indeed any other torture, if that's what you want to do... with consent of course ;)

So while it won't be illegal to tighten your hand round your lovers throat while you're fucking them, because she fucking loves it when you do that (rarrr!), it will be illegal to own material that portrays this, unless you are actually in those photos and can prove that you were both/all consenting. The examples I could use are endless... some more extreme than others obviously, but I don't need to be shocking here. I think this law does that.

This is the thought-police, coming along and locking you up because you like a bit of rough in your porn, so you *must* be a danger to society. And locked up you will be - for a maximum of three years (you get less time for fucking a dog, apparently).

I wonder where it will end? Because one thing is for sure - this is just the beginning. As one of the Lords stated in the house last week: Orwell would be proud.