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WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1988
"IN A RECENT SURVEY OF 32 NEWSPAPER VENDORS AND STREET STALLS, THREE WERE FOUND TO BE SELLING ARTICLES CLASSIFIED AS CLASS
II, THAT IS, INDECENT, OR CLASS III, THAT IS, OBSCENE, IN CONTRAVENTION OF THE ORDINANCE," HE SAID.
MR TSAO POINTED OUT THAT THOSE WHO PEDDLED TO YOUNG PEOPLE WERE CRIMINALS AND, LIKE CRIMINALS, TO CONCEAL THEIR ACTIVITIES.
OBSCENE MATERIALS THEY "OOK STEPS
TO COUNTER SUCH ACTIVITIES, HE SAID THAT OFFICEPS OF THE POLICE, THE CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMISSIONER FOR TELEVISION AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING WERE DELEGATED AUTHORITY TO REFER MATERIALS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE OBSCENE ARTICLES TRIBUNAL.
THE COMMISSIONER FOR TELEVISION AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING ALSO RESPONDED TO COMPLAINTS ABOUT SUCH COMICS FROM THE PUBLIC AND DISTRICT BOARDS.
HE NOTED THAT THE OBSCENE ARTICLES TRIBUNAL HAD CONSIDERED 197 COMIC BOOKS SINCE THE CONTROL OF OBSCENE AND INDECENT ARTICLES ORDINANCE CAME INTO EFFECT ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1987.
"SIX WERE CLASSIFIED CLASS I, THAT IS SUITABLE FOR GENERAL CONSUMPTION, AND 123 AS INDECENT AND 68 AS OBSCENE.
"THERE HAVE BEEN NINE
COMIC BOOKS.
SUCCESSFUL
PROSECUTIONS INVOLVING 131
"FINES IMPOSED BY THE COURTS HAVE RANGED FROM $500 TO $12,000, WITH MOST OFFENDERS HAVING BEEN FINED ABOUT $1,000, HE SAID.
MOREOVER, MR TSAO SAID THE COMMISSIONER FOR TELEVISION AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING HAD STAFF MEMBERS EMPLOYED FULL-TIME IN PATROLLING OUTLETS WHICH SOLD COMICS.
I
"IN ADDITION, THE POLICE, SUBJECT TO LOCAL RESOURCES AND PRIORITIES, TAKE ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST OUTLETS SUSPECTED OF SELLING OBSCENE MATERIAL, HE NOTED.
"
"MOST CASES NOW UNDER INVESTIGATION ARE INITIATED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR TELEVISION AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING'S STAFF; HOWEVER, COMPLAINTS AND REFERRALS FROM DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE PUBLIC ARE A VALUABLE ADDITION TO THE SOURCE OF INFORMATION THAT WE'VE OBTAINED."
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