Netflix faces indictment in Texas over controversial French film ‘Cuties’

(Reuters) – Netflix Inc <NFLX.O> is facing a criminal charge in a Texas county for promoting lewd visuals of a child in the French film “Cuties”, Texas representative Matt Schaefer said in a tweet https://twitter.com/RepMattSchaefer/status/1313517817942212608/photo/1 on Tuesday.

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

Netflix promoted material in the film that “depicts lewd exhibition of pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child who was younger than 18 years of age which appeals to the prurient interest in sex,” according to the tweet that had a picture of the indictment document attached.

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The document, filed on Sept. 23, from Tyler county has not been independently verified by Reuters, as the District Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to Reuters request.

Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The plot of “Cuties” centers around an 11-year-old Muslim girl who “starts to rebel against her conservative family’s traditions when she becomes fascinated with a free-spirited dance crew,” according to Netflix.

NBC News reported the indictment earlier in the day.

Last month, Turkey’s broadcasting watchdog said https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-media-netflix-idUSKBN25U1Y3 it would order Netflix to block access locally to the film on grounds that it contains images of child exploitation.

(Reporting by Ayanti Bera in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)