> So now we get to the point. I'm looking for opinions on this one; if I (theoretically) draw a picture of a young-looking person of unspecified age, would I be guilty of producing child pornography? And should I be? Assume, of course, that I'm not using an actual person as a model; I'm just sitting around the house, idly sketching something. Also, how do we determine whether or not it has "artistic merit?"

Note: When I say "you" in this message, it is a contraction of "the theoretical person who drew the picture in the first place."

As with so many other things, I reckon the answer is "It depends." If this theoretical picture was not going to leave your house, and was going to be for your personal use only (sorry if that sounds horribly sordid), then I would have no problem with that. If that picture is helping you satisfy your feelings without going out and actually exploiting a child, then it can only be a good thing. (Assuming, of course, that you find you get turned on by this by chance, and not because you think it's fun.) On the other hand, if you were drawing these pictures on a regular basis and then passing them on to other people (possibly even selling them), I wouldn't be so sure. This is because it could, theoretically, fall into the hands of someone who is inspired to do the same thing to a real child.

Maybe this is overkill, and I'm using "theoretically" too many times. Still, that's my opinion, for what it's worth.

Sigi