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Netflix indicted in Texas over 'lewd' depiction of children in 'Cuties'

A grand jury indictment for promotion of lewd visual material depicting a child was filed on September 23 over the French film.
/ Source: NBC News

Netflix is now facing a criminal charge in the ongoing backlash over “Cuties,” a French film centered around a 11-year-old girl living in Paris who wants to join a local “free-spirited dance crew."

A grand jury indictment for promotion of lewd visual material depicting a child was filed on September 23 in Tyler County, Texas, according to Texas Rep. Matt Schaefer. NBC News obtained a copy of the indictment Tuesday, confirming Schaefer's tweet.

The indictment states that Netflix promoted, distributed and exhibited material which “depicts the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child who was younger than 18 years of age” for the “prurient interest in sex.” It also states that the material held no serious "literary, artistic, political, or scientific value."

Netflix gave a statement to NBC News Tuesday regarding the indictment.

"'Cuties' is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children," the statement said. "This charge is without merit and we stand by the film."

The Tyler County District Attorney’s office did not comment on the indictment in response to an NBC News request for a statement.

Critics said the film and its promotional materials sexualized the young girls, equating it with child exploitation or child pornography.

The streaming company was criticized in August for the U.S. “Cuties” poster, which featured young girls in revealing two-piece dance costumes.

The French poster for “Cuties,” or “Mignonnes” in French, was of a group of girls walking on the street holding shopping bags.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-UT., said in a public statement Monday that he spoke to Netflix employees on the phone and was "unsatisfied" with the company's response to his questions. Lee called on the company to stop its distribution of the film, stating that there was a "moral question" as well as a legal question regarding the film.

"What I cannot understand, however, is how Netflix can condemn the conduct depicted in Cuties, while celebrating the film and filmmakers who asked several underage girls to stand in front of a camera and engage in that same 'inappropriate, shameful' conduct for all the world to see," Lee said.

Netflix apologized for its initial U.S. advertisements of the film in a statement posted to Twitter on August 20, adding that the material was “not OK” and updated the pictures and description of the film. The company defended the film itself, however, telling TODAY last month that “Cuties” is 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’s September statement said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com.