If you're the type to follow video games, they you know that Australia is one of the less favorable developed countries to live in. Its authorities wield the censor stick like few others, and regularly compare games (and gamers) to cancer and violent criminals.

One would think them just as prudish about anime culture and the gratuitous, seemingly underage action promised in all corners thereof, but at least one Australian judge has her head on her shoulders - at least in comparison to the, y'know, actual stuff.

A man in Ipswich, Australia recently plead guilty to charges of "using a carriage service to access child exploitation material." After a search of his computer, police found that he had viewed approximately 178 child pornography images, 32 of which were considered "cartoon anime child porn."

The man's defense made sure to note that the "cartoon anime" images did not involve any actual children. Judge Sarah Bradley acknowledged this, saying that while even cartoon child porn was abhorrent, it was "not as serious" as material which involved real-life victims (which the defendant did possess).

Overall it's practically a trivial break, since the man was still convicted (and the access of lolicon illustrations still considered illegal), but it's still nice to know that some authorities use common sense when distinguishing which of two evils is worse.