Catholic League calls for investigation into child rape film

Jan 19, 2007 / 09:00 am

Catholic League president Bill Donohue is requesting a federal investigation into the making of the soon-to-be-screened movie that features a 12-year-old actress in a graphic scene.

“Hounddog,” starring 12-year-old actress Dakota Fanning, is scheduled to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival Jan. 22.

Donohue wants federal officials to investigate whether child pornography laws were violated during the shooting of the film.

Premiere magazine has reported that the film features “a devastating rape by an older boy.” Film reviewer Allan Colmes on “Hannity and Colmes” said 12-year-old Fanning “plays a sexually promiscuous character who’s physically abused by her father and eventually raped on screen in a violently graphic scene.”

Canada’s Globe and Mail reported Jan. 18 that Fanning’s character “is violently raped and appears, at different times, either naked or in underpants.”

“It is unclear whether federal child pornography statutes have been broken in the course of filming this movie,” said Donohue.

“It matters not a whit whether Fanning’s mother, along with Fanning’s teacher/child welfare worker, gave their consent. What matters is whether they are an accessory to a crime,” he said in a statement.

Donohue said he intends to ask Andrew Oosterbaan, chief of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section within the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, to investigate the matter.

He is also writing to First Lady Laura Bush, requesting her assistance. The First Lady met with first ladies from France, Russia and Egypt yesterday to discuss the fight against child pornography and pedophilia.

“For the past five years, there has been a steady drumbeat of criticism aimed at the Catholic Church for allowing sexual abuse of minors to continue with impunity. Much of that criticism was right on target,” he said. “Let’s see now whether Hollywood will be held to the same level of scrutiny for promoting simulated child rape movies.”