The UK’s pornography taskforce is preparing to recommend legislation that would ban so-called “barely legal” pornographic content, including material produced by adult performers portraying children, such as that created by the controversial porn star Bonnie Blue.
The proposal, led by Conservative peer Baroness Gabby Bertin, follows the backlash to Channel 4’s documentary 1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story, which chronicled performer Tia Billinger, known as Bonnie Blue, filming sex scenes with 1,057 men over 12 hours. The documentary has prompted outrage from child protection advocates, advertisers, and politicians.
“The content is pushing at the boundaries,” Bertin told The Guardian. “We will be trying to address the ‘barely legal’ aspect legislatively.” She confirmed plans to table amendments to the crime and policing bill later this year to target online content that could encourage child sexual abuse, including adult pornography involving role-play with performers dressed as minors.
The documentary has drawn criticism for glamorising extreme porn and for failing to sufficiently challenge Bonnie Blue’s claim that her work is harmless. Although explicit footage was blurred, it included scenes of Blue preparing to shoot a classroom-themed orgy with adult performers dressed in school uniforms, according to the documentary, because they appeared “very young.”
Baroness Bertin said the documentary will be on the task force’s agenda.
According to the Guardian, she said: “She has become extremely successful; she is an adult and it is consensual, so it may not be harming her, but it has potentially harmful effects on people who think that this is a normal way to behave. We should be asking more about the men who arrive with balaclavas on their head to have sex with her.”
Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, also condemned the programme. “Bonnie Blue’s content showcases violence against women as entertainment and allows sexist ideas that women are ‘lesser’ than men to go unchecked,” she said. “Now this documentary risks taking us a step back by glamorising, even normalising, the things young people tell me are frightening.”
Ofcom confirmed it is currently assessing the documentary to determine whether to open a formal investigation.
Channel 4 defended the documentary as a contribution to public discourse.
“The film looks at how Bonnie Blue has gained worldwide attention and earned millions of pounds in the last year, exploring changing attitudes to sex, success, porn and feminism,” a spokesperson said. “Director Victoria Silver puts a number of challenges to Bonnie throughout the documentary… with the audience purposefully left to form their own opinions.”