'Cuties' Outcry Grows: 34 Lawmakers Ask Justice Dept. to Prosecute Netflix for Streaming Child Porn

Thirty-four House Republicans signed a letter sent to Attorney General William Barr on Tuesday calling for him to prosecute Netflix executives for streaming "Cuties," a French documentary about a girls' dance team. 

The Washington Times reports the GOP lawmakers condemned the film as "child pornography."

Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) who led the letter signing said the film featuring four 11-year-old girls who twerk, bump and grind in risqué costumes "meets the legal definition of child pornography."

"Cuties is child porn and Netflix should be prosecuted for distributing it," Mr. Banks said in a statement. "The vast majority of Americans agree with me, which is why Netflix's cancellation rate has skyrocketed."

"We're writing to recommend you bring charges against Netflix, Inc. for the distribution of the film "Cuties," which contains child pornography," the letter reads. 

As defined by 18 U.S.C § 2256, child pornography is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor, and that conduct does not need to specifically depict sexual activity to qualify, according to 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," Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) 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."

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As CBN News has reported, the hashtag #CancelNetflix has been trending on social media since the "Cuties" was released on the popular streaming platform on Sept. 9.  Netflix has seen a higher-than-normal spike in subscription cancellations, according to data provided to Variety.

Three days after the film's release, Netflix's cancellations soared to eight times its daily average, last recorded in August. The data-gathering firm that shared the numbers, YipitData, forecasted the elevated rate of cancellation could continue.

The film centers on the life of an 11-year-old Senegalese girl living in France who joins a dance troupe in which she and three other scantily clad, prepubescent girls perform highly sexualized dance routines.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) has argued the film "will certainly whet the appetite of pedophiles and help fuel the child sex trafficking trade."

"Cuties" director Maïmouna Doucouré, however, has claimed the movie — despite its sexualization of young girls — is a warning about the dangers of the societal sexualization of underage girls. She called the movie an effort to "sound an alarm and say we need to protect our children."

For its part, Netflix has also defended the film as a "social commentary against the sexualization of young children." A spokesperson said, "It's an award-winning film and a powerful story about the pressure young girls face on social media and from society more generally growing up."