Taiwanese police have seized a website that billed itself as ‘Asia’s largest gay lifestyle information network’ for ‘distributing obscene material.’

Taipei City Police Department said it shut down Gayway on Tuesday (9 November) after receiving reports that the website contained pornographic images.

The Criminal Investigation Division traced the site’s IP address to a studio on Zhongxiao West Road in Taipei, owned by a 40-year-man surnamed Wang who also operated a gay erotic massage parlour there.

Police said he violated Article 235 of the Criminal Code, which bans the distribution of obscene materials.

The maximum penalty is two years in jail and a fine of NT$20,000 (US$650).

LGBTI activists have long called for the abolishment of the law, which has been invoked to ban the sale of gay erotic magazines.

Gin Gin’s LGBTI bookstore was prosecuted under the law in 2001 for selling imported gay magazines from Hong Kong.

Police added that the network system administrator that provided the space and allowed the images to be uploaded may also have violated the law.

Wang said during questioning that he set up the website 9 months ago to cash in on the lucrative gay market.

He hired three men to upload large quantities of explicit images to attract visitors. Police said this was ostensibly to increase advertising effectiveness but was secretly to solicit massage clients.

The website contained gay Asia news, travel and culture stories as well as information on nightlife, saunas, sex toys, spas and massages.

However, explicit images and videos were posted in the site’s forum, which police said is ‘a serious offense.’

Police said the case had been passed to the Taipei District Prosecution Office and the police Information Management Office would use digital forensics equipment to restore electromagnetic records to identify more suspects for questioning.

‘The police will continue to crack down on internet pornography in order to purify the online environment,’ police said in a statement.