‘Barely legal’ adult content could be banned in UK following Bonnie Blue documentary

The Channel 4 documentary has faced some major backlash.

The new pornographic task force will put forward legislation later this year aimed at banning the 'barely legal' content.

Conservative party member Gabby Bertin proposed the legislation following the airing of Channel 4's documentary 1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story.

The show followed the adult film star for six months, including when she claimed to bed 1,057 men in 12 hours.

Children’s commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, comdemned the film for 'glamorising and normalising' extreme pornography.

The Channel 4 doc featured a scene of Bonnie Blue (whose real name is Tia Billinger), preparing to film an orgy in a classroom with other adult film stars dressed in school uniforms.

In the scene, the actors admit that they have been selected because of how young they look.

Lady Bertin plans to lodge amendments to the crime and policing bill this autumn that would make it illegal for online platforms to host content that could potentially encourage child sexual abuse. This includes pornography featuring adults dressed as children.

“This content is pushing at the boundaries. We will be trying to address the ‘barely legal’ aspect legislatively,” said the House of Lords member.

Ofcom is responsible for monitoring whether or not pornography sites are protecting UK viewers from encountering illegal material involving child sexual abuse and extreme content however, other forms of harmful pornography that are regulated offline, like in cinemas, are not subject to the same restrictions.

Therefore, adults pretending to be children in pornographic content is not clearly banned, despite closely resembling child abuse imagery.

A spokesperson for Ofcom has confirmed that they are assessing the documentary and will decide whether a formal investigation is required.

While the documentary only showed preparations for the classroom scene rather than the actual footage, clips showing Bonnie Blue having sex with more than 1,000 men shown pixellated.

The programme has been widely criticised for promoting her brand and for failing to challenge her assertion that her career is harmless.

Lady Bertin continued: “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.”

Dr Souza added: “For years we have been fighting to protect our children from the kind of degrading, violent sex that exists freely on their social media feeds. Now this documentary risks taking us a step back by glamorising, even normalising the things young people tell me are frightening. Bonnie Blue’s content showcases violence against women as entertainment and allows sexist ideas that women are ‘lesser’ than men to go unchecked.”

Additionally, companies such as Visa and Smirnoff have both pulled advertisements from the streaming of the doc.

In the midst of the controversy, a Channel 4 spokesperson has said the film was designed to provoke debate.

“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 in an ever-evolving online world.

"Director Victoria Silver puts a number of challenges to Bonnie throughout the documentary on the example she sets and how she is perceived, and the film clearly lays bare the tactics and strategies she uses, with the audience purposefully left to form their own opinions.”