HOLLYWOOD VS. AMERICA
Dakota Fanning 'raped' in
new film
North Carolina
prosecutors 'aware' of 12-year-old girl's graphic scene
Posted: August 7, 2006
8:20 p.m. Eastern
What you can do (click here)
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
 Prosecutors
in Wilmington, N.C., "are aware" of a scene for the
movie "Hounddog" in which the character played by
12-year-old actress
Dakota Fanning reportedly is violently raped,
and say if an investigation is launched, authorities
could consider sexual exploitation charges.
The scene, widely reported on the
Internet, is in the movie where Fanning plays
the role of a "precocious, troubled girl (who)
finds safe haven in the music and movement of
Elvis Presley," according to
Blue Line Radio, which monitors child-abuse
allegations.
Susan Jordan, a district
attorney in
Wilmington assigned to work with such
complaints, said she could not at this time
confirm a formal investigation into the rape
scene.
"I am aware of that
situation," she told WorldNetDaily. "The
charge that would potentially apply to
the scenario would be sexual
exploitation of a minor."
She said statutory
rape laws would require the actual
assault, and her understanding was
that any assault was simulated.
Third-degree or second-degree sexual
exploitation would involve having or
trading child pornography, she said.
But to make
such a scene could be
first-degree sexual
exploitation of a child, a
charge on the same level
with armed robbery, she
said.
"That is
to facilitate … sexual
activity for the purpose
of producing material
that would contain child
pornography," she said.
Carla
Roberts, who runs
the
Yahweh Center
Children's Village
for abused or
neglected children
in Wilmington, told
WND she would have
to wonder about the
adults responsible
for putting a child
in such a position.
And, she said,
she also is
concerned by the
ramifications
for the child to
whom that would
be done.
Jordan said
she just
doesn't
understand
such scenes,
now
described in
"a file on
my desk."
The
movie is
an
independent
that had
to raise
additional
money
when
some
initial
investors
pulled
their
support
because
of the
rape
scene.
It is
being
assembled
by
writer-director
Deborah
Kampmeier.
Her
earlier
work,
"Virgin,"
was
about a
young
girl who
is
raped,
but
doesn't
remember
the
attack
and
believes
she's
carrying
the
Christ
child.
In "Hounddog,"
the
12-year-old
Fanning
plays
9-year-old
Lewellen,
who
is
told
she
must
sing
for
concert
tickets
to
hear
Elvis.
The
script
graphically
describes
her
clothes
dropping
to
the
floor
before
she
sings,
and
an
assailant
unzipping
his
jeans.
Others in the production include Isabelle Fuhrman, Cody Hanford, David Morse, Christoph Sanders, Jody Thompson and Robin Wright Penn.
According to an independent movie website, Kampmeier's "Virgin" was "profound and exquisitely melancholy" and was nominated for the John Cassavetes Award for the best feature made for under $500,000.
Its story is about "Jessie," (Elizabeth Moss) who hides her suffering from being trapped by her family's conservative Baptists beliefs with liquor, kleptomania and drugs. She has a sexual encounter after a spell of drugs and liquor and finds she is pregnant, deciding that she is carrying the next Christ child.
At that time, Kampmeier, who previously worked in the New York City theater industry, said she shot the film for $65,000 in 21 days.
Kampmeier did not return a message WND left at her Full Moon Films office.
World Entertainment News Network said the movie was a shocker for Fanning's fans.
"She has shot child rape scenes and appears semi-naked," the network said.
But it also said the actress' agent, Joy Osbrink, told the New York Daily News, fans shouldn't worry.
"It's not just the rape scene – the whole story is challenging Dakota as an actress. And I've never been so proud of her in my life. I've seen the dailies, and in every scene she gets better and better."
One crew member called the movie "dynamite" because of the scene, and said adult stars would have baulked at some of the situations.
In 2002, Fanning worked with Steven Spielberg as the lead child in a science fiction miniseries and she also appeared in "Trapped," "Sweet Home Alabama," and "Hansel & Gretel." She later worked with Kurt Russell in "Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story," and Tom Cruise in "War of the Worlds."
What you can do:
CAICA received an e-mail with the following information:
The making of the movie, Hounddog, starring Dakota Fanning depicts the rape of and exploitation of a little girl and how she found a way to cope through music.
It was filmed in NC, which has a law against the depiction of a minor child engaging in a sexual act, and from the articles and news stories, the rape scene is very graphic. There are also a number of scenes with her nude at time and wearing only underwear at times.
Please contact all you can and ask them to spread the word around to contact NC officials about bringing charges against the producers, crew and investors of this film and also Dakota's parents for allowing this to happen, under the law (NCGS 14-190.16 (a) (4)) which states that it shall be the First Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, a serious Felony Offense in which records, photographs, films, develops, or duplicates for sale or pecuniary gain material that contains a visual representation depicting a minor engaged in sexual activity.
Thanks for anything you can do,
State Representatives: http://www.house.gov/writerep/
State Senators: http://www.senate.gov/
State Legislatures: http://www.ncsl.org/public/leglinks.cfm
NC State attorney General: http://www.ncdoj.com/
Re: Help > stop movie depicts Rape of child
I have found out that any complaint or charges arising out of the making of the movie Hounddog must originate from the Wilmington, NC District Attorney's office headed by Mr. Ben David. I have called his office at 910-341-1400, opt. 6 and left a message, awaiting a response.
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