Legally Reviewed by Shazam Kianpour on August 12, 2026
A couple of months ago, you might have heard about the controversy regarding a book that a man wrote about pedophilia. The book is called “The Pedophile’s Guide to Love and Pleasure: A Child Lover’s Code of Conduct,” and many throughout the country protested the sale of the book, saying it taught readers how to engage in child molestation.
But the writer of the how-to book has defended his name and First Amendment rights consistently throughout the debate. Even after Amazon stopped selling the book, the author continued selling his work from his Colorado home.
It seemed as though all was fine, that was until he sent the book to a buyer, who happened to be undercover Florida detectives. Once the book crossed the state lines into Florida, authorities here believed they had enough to arrest the author and lock him up.
The author is charged with violating Florida obscenity laws, was taken out of Colorado and now sits in a Polk County, Florida jail cell. To be clear, this suspect is not accused of actually committing sex assault on a child; he is being charged with distributing “obscene material depicting minors engaged in conduct harmful to minors.”
Though the author claims he has never committed a sex crime against a child and he is not charged with such, critics still see him as incredibly dangerous. Some think that the book should be legally banned because it teaches others how to “rape” children, which is illegal nationwide. But that line of thinking, including Florida’s obscenity law in general, worries those who want to protect freedom of speech.
The defendant claims that supporting sex assault on a child is not the purpose of his guide and is confident that he will win his case. He says his “… book is just a help book for pedophiles to help them live legally,” according to an ABC report. Adding to his defense, the suspect points to the fact that he lives in Colorado, where Florida’s obscenity law doesn’t exist; therefore, the Florida charges should be dropped.
We will post an update to this post as more case details develop.
Source
ABC Action News: “Pedophilia book author Philip Greaves booked into Polk County Jail,” Cary Williams, 21 Dec. 2010
How Interstate Obscenity Charges Work
Cases where a person is charged under another state’s law, based on material that crossed state lines, raise jurisdictional questions that are not always straightforward. Generally, a state can prosecute a person for conduct connected to that state, such as shipping material into it, even if the person who sent it was never physically present there. Obscenity prosecutions frequently rely on this kind of jurisdictional theory, and federal obscenity statutes covering interstate transmission by mail or common carrier can also apply alongside state charges.
Colorado has its own obscenity statute, which prohibits promoting or possessing with intent to promote obscene material, and treats promotion of obscenity to a minor as a more serious offense that can carry sex offender registration requirements. Obscenity charges are legally distinct from child pornography charges, which involve depictions of actual sexual conduct by minors and carry separate, generally more severe, penalties under both state and federal law.
The Legal Standard for Obscenity
Courts apply a specific legal test to determine whether material is legally obscene, generally asking whether the average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find the work appeals to prurient interest; whether it depicts sexual conduct in a patently offensive way as defined by the applicable law; and whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. This is a fact-intensive legal standard, and whether a given work meets it is a question for the court, not a foregone conclusion based on subject matter alone.
Sex Crime and Obscenity Cases in Colorado
Colorado prosecutes a range of sex-related offenses beyond obscenity, including possession and trafficking of material involving minors, internet-based sex crimes, and registry-related offenses. Anyone facing this type of charge, whether under Colorado law or from another state, benefits from legal representation that understands both the jurisdictional issues and the underlying statutory elements the prosecution must prove.
Frequently Asked Questions About Obscenity and Sex Crime Charges
Can a Colorado resident be charged under another state’s obscenity law?
In some circumstances, yes. If material is sent into a state, that state may claim jurisdiction over the conduct connected to that transmission, even if the sender never physically traveled there. Federal law can also apply to material sent across state lines.
What is the difference between obscenity and child pornography charges?
Obscenity charges involve material judged obscene under a specific legal test applied to the work as a whole. Child pornography charges involve depictions of actual sexual conduct by minors and are treated as a distinct, generally more serious category of offense under both state and federal law.
What legal test determines whether material is obscene?
Courts generally look at whether the average person applying contemporary community standards would find the work appeals to prurient interest, whether it is patently offensive under the applicable legal definition, and whether the work as a whole lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
What defenses exist in an obscenity or distribution case?
Defenses can include challenging whether the material meets the legal definition of obscenity, challenging the jurisdiction of the charging state, and raising First Amendment arguments where applicable. The available defenses depend heavily on the specific facts and the statute charged.
If you are facing a sex crime, obscenity, or internet-related charge in Colorado, Shazam Kianpour & Associates, P.C. can review the jurisdictional and statutory issues involved in your case. Learn more about our sex crimes defense practice or contact our office to discuss your situation.
About the Attorney
Founder, Shazam Kianpour & Associates, P.C.
Shazam Kianpour is a Denver criminal defense attorney who has handled thousands of criminal and traffic cases across Colorado, including sex crime and internet crime matters. He previously served as a Colorado State Public Defender and is a member of the Colorado Bar Association and the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar.
Written by
Shazam KianpourDenver Criminal Defense Attorney & Founder, Shazam Kianpour & Associates, P.C. — Over 10,000 criminal and traffic cases handled across Colorado.