Last Updated on October 6, 2020
The controversial ‘Cuties’ film hosted by Netflix has been indicted by a Texas court for its “lewd exhibition” of children. The film garnered international attention over its sexual nature which involved preteen girls twerking and sexually suggestive close-ups — overshadowing the film’s sociocultural message.
According to Westphalian Times, Tyler County Grand Jury indicted Netflix for promoting “the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child who was younger than 18 years of age at the time the visual material was created, which appeals to the prurient interest in sex, and has no serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.”
Texas representative Matt Schaefer tweeted out the news containing a screenshot of the streaming service’s indictment.
“Netflix, Inc. indicted by grand jury in Tyler Co., Tx for promoting material in Cuties film which depicts lewd exhibition of pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child who was younger than 18 yrs of age which appeals to the prurient interest in sex,” Schaefer tweeted.
Netflix, Inc. indicted by grand jury in Tyler Co., Tx for promoting material in Cuties film which depicts lewd exhibition of pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child who was younger than 18 yrs of age which appeals to the prurient interest in sex #Cuties #txlege pic.twitter.com/UJ1hY8XJ2l
— Matt Schaefer (@RepMattSchaefer) October 6, 2020
The film was pilloried and decried by the general public when its release was announced to the streaming service in August.
Although social media erupted at the film’s inclusion of sexually suggestive tones involving pre-pubescent girls as they came of age, many journalists and critics blasted public negativity surrounding the movie and lavished it with praise.
‘Cuties’ even won a Sundance Film Festival award as the film challenged traditions held by African Muslim migrants juxtaposed with a tolerant and permissive French society.
It was soon revealed that the Sundance Film Festival’s co-founder was languishing in prison after a conviction involving sex with a minor in the state of Utah.
National File reported:
Sterling Van Wagenen, who co-founded the Sundance Festival with Robert Redford, was sentenced to a minimum of six years in prison after being found guilty of child molestation in June last year.
Van Wagenen was found to have molested the young girl, who has remained anonymous, on two occasions between 2013 and 2015 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The sentencing judge has recommended Van Wagenen to serve at least the minimum sentence before he can be considered for release.
Another point of controversy came when it was revealed that over 600 preteen girls auditioned for roles in the film.
