Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) is among the Republican lawmakers calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to open a criminal investigation into Netflix for what Cotton called “peddling child pornography” after the streaming giant released the preteen twerking film Cuties.
“Like any parent, I find [Netflix’s] decision to peddle child pornography disgusting. And it’s criminal,” tweeted Senator Cotton on Saturday. “The Justice Department] should take swift action.”
Netflix is facing heavy backlash for releasing the film many critics say engages in the sexual exploitation of children.
Netflix, however, has defended its release of Cuties — despite intense scrutiny it has faced over the movie’s sexually charged depiction of underage girls — calling the film a “social commentary.”
Cuties centers around 11-year-old Amy, who “joins a group of dancers named ‘the cuties’ at school, and rapidly grows aware of her burgeoning femininity — upsetting her mother and her values in the process,” according to the film’s IMDb page.
Now, Senator Cotton and Jim Banks (R-IN) are calling on the DOJ to bring legal action against Netflix for the release of Cuties, according to a report by the Daily Caller.
“There’s no excuse for the sexualization of children, and Netflix’s decision to promote the film ‘Cuties’ is disgusting at best and a serious crime at worst,” senator Cotton told the Daily Caller. “I urge the Department of Justice to take action against Netflix for their role in pushing explicit depictions of children into American homes.”
Rep. Banks also shared his sentiments, adding that the DOJ should prepare charges against Netflix for disseminating “child pornography.”
“As a father of young daughters, I find it sickening. Not only is this movie fodder for pedophiles, it encourages very young girls to defy their parents’ wishes and share pornographic images of themselves with strangers, ” said Banks. “Our culture has come a long way in recent years, recognizing the power of television, movies and magazines to affect young girls.”
“The lessons taught in this film are not ones I want my daughters learning,” Banks added. “The DOJ should be readying charges against Netflix for distribution of child pornography.”
On Friday, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) hammered Netflix, calling Cuties “child porn” and insisted the film will “whet the appetite of pedophiles & help fuel the child sex trafficking trade.”
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, on Parler at @alana, and on Instagram.
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