Never read any King because idk I guess I always thought it was too middle-brow but just speaking generally, I prefer a book that is more fucked up vs one that is less fucked up. The idea that nothing sexually perverse, uncomfortable or immoral should be written in a book is dull. The story does work without that bit obviously since they nixed it for TV, and without reading it I can't really comment on whether it works in the book or not, but in the abstract, having all your child characters be forced to have group sex in a sewer to defeat an evil clown probably improves a lot of stories. Harry Potter woulda been better that is for damn sure
I like fucked up fiction as much as the next depressed western communist, but jfc I've never thought that a child sex scene would improve any novel. Mfer, what's your standard here, goddamn Lolita?