Pret Art or Lolita Art is an erotic form of art, in which clothed adolescent or pre-pubescent girls pose for photos or videos. It is distributed freely or commercially, either in magazines or over the internet. The name derives from the magazine "Pret: Pretty Preteens", which was published in the 1950s.
Because the models are not nude and the poses are not overtly sexual, the material generally does not fall under child pornography laws. As such it is generally legal to produce, purchase, or possess such materials. Producers assert that they always get consent from the models' parents. Despite this, some criticize it on moral grounds, arguing that the majority of purveyors are pedophiles and that the material can be used in grooming a child (lowering his/her inhibitions to sex). Those who argue that this type of material should remain legal point to the fact that similar material can be found in mainstream entertainment which depicts attractive minors as well in as children's and youth fashion magazines and clothing catalogs.
With the rise in popularity of the internet, a lot of "pret art" is now found on the to internet, with websites offering non-nude photographs and videos of teen and pre-teen children to subscribers. Such sites are often referred to as "child modeling sites" on the internet and in the press. Some sites focus only on a single model and are often run by the model's parents, purportedly as a extra money making venture (for college for example). Child modeling sites often features models in various types of clothing and undergarments, such as dresses, bikinis, nightgowns, and undergarments only. As such many are viewed as pushing the boundaries in terms of legality but are not considered to violate child pornography laws. The owners of websites often defend themselves by claiming them to soley intended as a way of advertising the modeling services of the model(s) they feature. Critics consider this simply a cover and suggest that these owners knowingly provide a form child erotica, albeit a legal kind. In the United States some mebers of congress have have responded to critics of these sites by proposing legislation prohibiting it. Critics of such legislation claim it would likely be ruled an unconstitutional violation of the first amendment of the US constitution. So far no such legislation has passed congress.