Chester the Molester

{{Short description|Comic strip by Dwaine B. Tinsley}}

{{Infobox comic strip

|title= Chester the Molester

|image=

|caption=

|author= Dwaine B. Tinsley

|status=Ended

|syndicate=

|publisher= Hustler

|first= 1976

|last= 1989

|genre= Adult comics

|rating=

}}

Chester the Molester was a comic strip by Dwaine B. Tinsley (December 31, 1945 – May 23, 2000), cartoon editor of the pornographic magazine Hustler.{{cite news |url=http://www.comicbookbin.com/fantagraphicsbooks053.html |title=Bob Levin Release Party for New Book in May |date=Apr 15, 2008 |work=Comic Book Bin |publisher=Coolstreak Cartoons |access-date=2009-02-06}} Tinsley produced the strip's monthly issues for 13 years, from 1976 to 1989.{{cite book |last=Taylor |first=Betty W. |author2=Rush, Sharon |author3=Munro, Robert John |title=Feminist Jurisprudence, Women and the Law |publisher=Wm. S. Hein Publishing |year=1999 |page=358}} The tongue-in-cheek strip shows Chester, a middle-aged pedophile, joyfully molesting women and young girls,{{cite web | url=https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/tinsley_dwaine_b.htm | title=Dwaine B. Tinsley }} or tricking or attempting to trick them into sexually compromising positions. After increasing controversy, the cartoon became Chester and Hester, Hester as an unattractive middle-aged woman who was Chester's girlfriend in crime. Following the alleged religious conversion of Hustler founder Larry Flynt in 1977, the strip was briefly retooled as Chester the Protector,{{cite magazine |date=5 December 1977 |title=The Press: I'll Be a Hustler for the Lord' |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,915800-2,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071215003210/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,915800-2,00.html |archive-date=December 15, 2007 |magazine=Time}} a reincarnation of Chester who served to protect young girls from rape and seduction.{{Cite book |last=Bronstein |first=Carolyn |title=Battling Pornography: The American Feminist Anti-Pornography Movement, 1976–1986}}

Tinsley was arrested on May 18, 1989, after being accused by his 18-year-old daughter Allison of molesting her since she was 13.{{cite web |title=People v. Tinsley |url=https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-court-of-appeal/1845750.html |access-date=2021-02-19 |website=Findlaw |language=en-US}}{{cite news |title=Hustler cartoonist arrested on molestation charge |url=https://apnews.com/article/6a12fd4ed54fd5d4d62bd2ec37123a63 |access-date=2021-02-18 |website=AP News |agency=Associated Press}} According to court records, he allegedly told his coworkers, "You can't write about this stuff all the time if you don't experience it."{{Cite news |last=Associated Press |date=June 2, 1989 |title=Artist's Cartoons Depicted His Molestations of Teen-Ager, Court Papers Allege |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-06-02-me-970-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times}} Tinsley was found guilty of five counts of child molestation;{{Cite news |last=Berger |first=Leslie |date=January 11, 1990 |title=Jury Convicts Hustler Cartoonist of Molesting Girl |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-01-11-ve-324-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times}} He was convicted on January 5, 1990, and was sentenced to six years in prison.{{cite news |title='Chester the Molester' cartoonist convicted of child molestation |url=https://apnews.com/article/916c35470c8599df19f7ae7421ce1870 |access-date=2021-02-18 |website=AP News |agency=Associated Press}}{{cite news |date=5 May 1990 |title=Hustler Cartoonist Sentenced to 6 Years |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-05-05-me-194-story.html |access-date=15 January 2018 |newspaper=LA Times |via=}} During his incarceration, he briefly continued dispatching new strips to Hustler from his cell to be edited by Edward Kuhnel.{{cite news |date=2011-12-06 |title=Larry Flynt: Freedom fighter, pornographer, monster? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/larry-flynt-freedom-fighter-pornographer-monster-2289592.html |access-date=2021-02-20 |newspaper=The Independent |language=en-UK}} Tinsley's conviction was overturned in 1992 when an appeals court ruled that the jury should not have based the conviction on his strip, violating the First Amendment.{{Cite news |date=27 February 1992 |title='Chester Molester' case overturned |url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/143715791/ |access-date=2021-06-17 |newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press |page=10 |language=en |via=Newspapers.com}} The prosecutor in the case ultimately decided not to retry him after he served 23 months.{{Cite news |date=18 September 1992 |title=Molestation Case Won't Be Retried |url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/177365379/ |access-date=2021-06-17 |newspaper=The Los Angeles Times |page=428 |language=en |via=Newspapers.com}} Flynt claims he did not ask Tinsley about the conviction and defended him.