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Ted Cruz Joins Other GOP Lawmakers Calling On DOJ To Investigate Netflix For Distributing Child Porn

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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) joined other Republicans in Congress on Friday to urge the Department of Justice to investigate Netflix after the backlash against “Cuties,” a new movie that depicts young girls in sexually provocative ways.

Cruz tweeted a public letter he sent to Attorney General Bill Barr, writing on Saturday, “Following [Netflix]’s disturbing promotion of ‘Cuties,’ I sent a letter calling on [DOJ] to investigate whether Netflix, its executives, or the filmmakers violated any federal laws against the production and distribution of child pornography.”

Cruz joined other lawmakers in his condemnation of Netflix, such as Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), who published an open letter to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings on Friday and tweeted, “[Netflix] should explain to the public why it is distributing a film, ‘Cuties,’ that appears to sexually exploit children and endanger child welfare.”

“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.”

Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) also rebuked Netflix as a father, describing the show as “sickening” and calling on the DOJ to charge the company for distribution of child pornography. In a statement to The Daily Caller, Banks said:

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.

Republicans weren’t the only ones to blast Netflix. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) also condemned them with a personal anecdote, writing, “[Netflix] child porn ‘Cuties’ will certainly whet the appetite of pedophiles & help fuel the child sex trafficking trade. 1 in 4 victims of trafficking are children. It happened to my friend’s 13 year old daughter. Netflix, you are now complicit. #CancelNetflix.”

Netflix defended “Cuties” in a statement to The Daily Caller News Foundation, describing it as “a social commentary against the sexualization of young children. 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 – and we’d encourage anyone who cares about these important issues to watch the movie.”

Netflix has gotten in hot water before for releasing content many find offensive, such as a show that presented transgender children in a positive light, and another that depicted Jesus as gay and the Virgin Mary as a pothead. The hashtag #CancelNetflix was trending at the top of Twitter on Thursday.

Related: ‘The Slide Is Greased’: Pastor John MacArthur Slams Netflix ‘Cuties’ Controversy As ‘Next Small Step’ For ‘Nation Without A Conscience’

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