Director of controversial Netflix film defends his work against claims it depicts child pornography

The director of a controversial Netflix film that faces child child pornography allegations is defending his film against the claims.  

Diego Kaplan, director of the Argentinian movie Desearas, meaning Desire, says the alleged exploitative scene with two young girls was filmed ‘under the surveillance’ of the children’s mothers. 

After receiving backlash on social media,Netflix is now facing an investigation into child pornography over a scene involving two young girls, aged around seven or nine, watching TV and imitating the cowboy on the screen riding a horse – but while sitting on a pillow.

The scene is shot in a way – with music and a close up of one of the girl’s face – to suggest that she is unknowingly masturbating and reaching an orgasm.

Diego Kaplan, director of a controversial Netflix film, is defending his work against claims that it depicts child pornography 

The Argentinian movie Desearas, meaning Desire, is said to show young girls, aged around seven and nine, in a suggestive scene involving pillows

In a statement to IndieWire, Kaplan said: ‘Of course this scene was filmed using a trick, which was that the girls were copying a cowboy scene from a film by John Ford. The girls never understood what they were doing, they were just copying what they were seeing on the screen. 

‘No adult interacted with the girls, other than the child acting coach. Everything was done under the careful surveillance of the girls’ mothers.’

Kaplan also said that he knew this scene may cause controversy and therefore has ‘Making Of’ footage to display how it was filmed. 

‘We work in a world of fiction; and, for me, before being a director comes being a father,’ Kaplan said.

‘Everything works inside the spectators’ heads, and how you think this scene was filmed will depend on your level of depravity,’ he added. 

The film appears on Netflix’s US platform. 

The website PJ Media said it had reported the film to the FBI, the Department of Justice and to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  

Diego Kaplan, pictured center with the cast of Desearas, said the scene was shot ‘under the surveillance’ of the two girls’ mothers 

It is reported that the NCMEC has launched an investigation.

According to the website, some users have been sharing the clip on Facebook, many of them in protest, but to circulate it could still be against the law.

Department of Justice guidance says that pictures and video can be illegal even if they do not explicitly show sex, if they are ‘sufficiently sexually suggestive’. 

The rules say: ‘Notably, the legal definition of sexually explicit conduct does not require that an image depict a child engaging in sexual activity.

‘A picture of a naked child may constitute illegal child pornography if it is sufficiently sexually suggestive.

‘Additionally, the age of consent for sexual activity in a given state is irrelevant; any depiction of a minor under 18 years of age engaging in sexually explicit conduct is illegal.’

Earlier this year the film Show Dogs faced a backlash over claims that some of the scenes resembled sexual abuse.  

The National Centre on Sexual Exploitation in the US slammed the film, saying it ‘sends a troubling message that grooms children for sexual abuse’.

Director Dawn Hawkins said the dog was ‘rewarded’ for withstanding the inspection of its private part, saying child abusers used similar tactics.  

Netflix is reportedly facing an investigation over claims that the film shows child pornography

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk