Restrictions asked for violent, sexual cartoons

Friday, April 11, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- In the Japanese animated video "Ninja Scrol," the heroine has her arms ripped out of their sockets by a creature who drinks the blood out of the arms. And then the creature sexually assaults the dead body of the woman.

"You can see her, her breasts. ... you can see everything," Assemblyman John Lee, D-Las Vegas, said Thursday.

As upsetting as the video might be to Lee, what upsets him more is that children can buy or rent it in video stores.

"There are thousands of these," Lee said of the violent animated movies with vivid sexual scenes. And they're not rated.

Lee sponsored a bill this week to stop the sale or rental of the videos to those under 18. Assembly Bill 336, with 40 co-sponsors, defines the cartoons or animated videos as motion pictures and brings them under the law that defines crimes against decency.

This isn't about violating the First Amendment, said Lee, the father of seven. It is about protecting children. He noted the cartoons have printed warnings of the violence, brief nudity, explicit language and adult situations, but no rating.

"It's the responsibility of the owner of the store to check this," Lee said. "He's selling it ... he's making a profit. It's his responsibility to protect our children. We can't go all the way to Japan to make them change their film rating."

The bill requires vendors to display the materials in restricted access areas, as is now required for adult movies. His bill doesn't require special warnings and those 18 or older would be allowed to buy or rent them.

"If you're 18 years old and want to buy this crap, I can't stop you," Lee said. "What's that saying -- a mind engrossed in sex is good for nothing more."

Las Vegas City Councilman Arnie Adamsen wrote Lee about the loophole in the law and told of a Las Vegas woman who said her 16-year-old daughter was able to buy one of the films at a store in a mall.

Lee said that business started restricting sales and putting on warning labels, but other video stores have not restricted the sale. To check it out, Lee went to a store in downtown Carson City and found the videos open for sale or rental.

The bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee.