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Nearly 3 Dozen GOP Lawmakers Sign Letter Calling On Netflix To Be Prosecuted

   DailyWire.com
Netflix Bill Barr
NurPhoto/Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images

Thirty-three Republican lawmakers added their names to a letter that Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) sent to Attorney General William Barr on Thursday urging him to prosecute Netflix for distributing child pornography.

In the latest addition to the backlash against Netflix’s “Cuties” movie, which depicts pre-pubescent girls in sexually provocative situations, Banks and his colleagues condemned the streaming platform and called for them to be prosecuted under “18 U.S.C § 2256,” according to The Daily Caller.

“Thx to the 33 Republicans who joined me in calling on DOJ to prosecute Netflix for distributing Cuties, which is child porn…” Banks tweeted. “No Dems though. They seem to prefer defending Cuties to criticizing it. I don’t get it. How can you support this filth??”

As The Daily Wire reported, Banks recently rebuked Netflix as a father, describing the show as “movie fodder for pedophiles” in a statement to The Daily Caller:

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. 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. The DOJ should be readying charges against Netflix for distribution of child pornography.

Banks’ letter, which included signatures from Republican Reps. Paul Gosar of Arizona, Doug Collins of Georgia, and Greg Murphy of North Carolina, reads:

We’re writing to recommend you bring charges against Netflix, Inc. for the distribution of the film “Cuties,” which contains child pornography.

As defined by 18 U.S.C § 2256, child pornography is any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor, and that conduct does not need to specifically depict sexual activity to qualify.

Cuties clearly meets the United States’ legal definition of child pornography. According to IMDB’s parental guide, Cuties contains, “a scene where an 11-year-old girl dressed in a tank and panties is splashed with water and begins twerking in a frenzied kind of way,” and numerous other, equally distressing depictions of minors including the display of an 11-year-old child’s bare breast. One reviewer recently said, “What the Avengers movies are to comic-book geeks, Cuties is to pedophiles.”

The First Amendment protects corporations and individuals from obscenity law if they can prove artistic expression, but this protection rightfully does not apply to child pornography. Cuties is child pornography and its distributors should be prosecuted accordingly.

Cuties’ defenders claim that the film intends to criticize the objectification of young girls. The reality is that Cuties does depict minors engaged in sexually explicit acts. It’s visual fodder for pedophiles and its message is beside the point.

To us, and to the vast majority of Americans, it’s deeply upsetting to see a mainstream media company promote the sexualization of children. We appreciate you considering this issue and eagerly await your response.

Related: 9 Other Times Netflix Offended Viewers With Its Content

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