Police investigating pornographic playing cards sold at stores
The Criminal Investigation Division with the Department of Public Safety has launched an investigation into the sale of playing cards with pornographic photos of females on the cards, which was confirmed by CID Captain Lavata’i Taase Sagapolutele.
The CID Captain declined to give further details, however, he told Samoa News the investigation is underway and as soon as it’s complete the report will then be forwarded to the Attorney General’s office for prosecution.
Samoa News understands the man who contacted police about the illegal playing cards found the cards in the possession of his minor daughter, who claims she bought them from the store in question.
The man visited the store, located in Atu’u, and saw many similar playing cards on the store’s shelf.
Calls to the Deputy Commissioner Leiseau Laumoli were not answered as of press time for an official comment.
Pornography is illegal in the territory under title 46 chapter 44 of the American Samoa Code Annotated. It states in part:
Promoting pornography in the first degree is a class C felony when a person knowing its content and character, he:
(1) wholesale promotes or possesses with the purpose to wholesale promote any pornographic material; or
(2) wholesale promotes for minors or possesses with the purpose to wholesale promote for minors any pornographic material for minors.
Promoting pornography in the second degree is a class D felony when a person knowing its content and character, he:
(1) promotes or possesses with the purpose to promote any pornographic material for pecuniary gain; or
(2) produces, presents, directs, or participates in any pornographic performance for pecuniary gain.
Furnishing pornographic materials to minors is a class A misdemeanor when a person, knowing its content and character, he:
(1) furnishes any material pornographic for minors, knowing that the person to whom it is furnished is a minor or acting in reckless disregard of the likelihood that the person is a minor; or
(2) produces, presents, directs, or participates in any performance pornographic for minors that is furnished to a minor knowing that any person viewing the performance is a minor or acting in reckless disregard of the likelihood that a minor is viewing the performance.