A Chinese writer has been sentence to 10 years in prison for writing and distributing a novel that includes gay sex scenes.
The writer only identified in Chinese media as Liu was jailed last year and received her 10 year sentence last month, sparking widespread criticism for the lengthy punishment from Chinese citizens online, according to the BBC. News of her arrest was reported by Chinese media outlets this week.
Her novel, titled “Occupy,” portrays “obscene sexual behavior between males,” according to a description from police.
{mosads}China’s state-owned Global Times newspaper reported the novel was “full of perverted sexual acts like violence and abuse.”
According to CNN, gay erotic fiction has become increasingly popular in China, where self-published authors are responsible for a majority of the work.
Liu told police she made roughly $21,000 through the sale of the book and distributed more than 7,000 copies.
The production and sale of pornography is against the law in China, though sentences vary based on severity.
Liu reportedly received a harsher sentence because of the number of copies her book sold.