The sales took place in late 1999, at which time Castillo was working as a clerk in Keith's Comics, a store that had come under investigation for allegations of making obscene material accessible to minors.
The store did in fact carry pornographic material, but in a clearly marked, restricted section not accessible to underaged customers.
The counts were over the sales of Demon Beast Invasion and Legend of the Overfiend, both of which are hentai manga (pornographic Japanese comics).
Notably, the trial featured experts Scott McCloud and Susan J. Napier testifying for the defense.
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