Film's rape scene causes controversy

NEW YORK, Jan. 24 (UPI) -- The Catholic League called for an investigation into whether "Hounddog," shown at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, broke federal child pornography laws.

Several religious organizations expressed concern about a scene in which the character played by 12-year-old actress Dakota Fanning is raped.

"It matters not a whit whether Fanning's mother, along with Fanning's teacher/child welfare worker, gave their consent," Bill Donohue, president of the New York-based Catholic League, said in a statement. "What matters is whether they are an accessory to a crime."

Director Deborah Kampmeier said the rape was achieved through editing.

"You have a child yelling 'Stop it!" and only when you put that next to an image of a boy unzipping his pants do you see that it's rape," she told the Los Angeles Times.

Donohue said he asked that the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice to investigate. He said he would try to enlist the help of First Lady Laura Bush.

The Catholic Church has been criticized for allowing sexual abuse of minors to occur, he said. "Let's see now whether Hollywood will be held to the same level of scrutiny."