A Texas grand jury has indicted streaming giant Netflix for promoting French film “Cuties,” which the court says depicts lewd visuals of children.
 
County prosecutors said the charge was based on a Texas law that makes it illegal to “knowingly promote” material that depicts the genitals or the pubic area of a child, clothed or partially clothed, and “which appeals to the prurient interest in sex and has no serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.”
 
The movie received backlash before its release because of a movie poster that went viral for its provocative depiction of its young female actors. The criticism continued after its release in September, including outrage from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and other politicians, who called for subscribers to #CancelNetflix and sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr arguing that the film “sexualizes young girls through dance scenes simulating sexual activities, including one scene exposing a minor's chest.”
 
Netflix has yet to issue a statement concerning the indictment, however the company stands by the film and claims that the charge is “without merit,” pointing to the director’s statement that the story is at least in part inspired by her own experiences and is a tale that warns against the sexualization of children. 

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