This is a joint media release between the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force
A man from Brisbane's western suburbs has become the first person in Queensland to be jailed for possessing child-like sex dolls under Commonwealth laws targeting child abuse-related offences, following an Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigation.
The 46-year-old man was yesterday (21 April 2021) sentenced to two years' imprisonment, to be released immediately on a two-year $2,000 good behaviour bond.
Investigators from the Brisbane Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET) located six child-like sex dolls during the execution of a search warrant at the man's home in the Brisbane suburb of Riverhills on 25 January 2020.
Police also located a laptop at the house which contained child abuse material.
The Brisbane JACET had launched an investigation into the man's activities after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers detected a child-like sex doll in a shipment from China on 20 January 2020.
The man is the first person in Queensland to be charged and sentenced for the offence, which came into force on 20 September 2019 as part of the Combatting Child Sexual Exploitation Legislation Amendment Act 2019.
The man was found guilty of two counts of possessing a child-like sex doll or other object that resembles a child (or part of a child) under 18, and a reasonable person would consider it likely that the doll is intended to be used to simulate sexual intercourse; one count of attempting to possess a child-like sex doll and one count of possessing child exploitation material.
Research by the Australian Institute of Criminology has found that use of child-like sex dolls may lead to an escalation in child sex offences - from viewing online child abuse material to contact sexual offending.
AFP Detective Superintendent Paula Hudson said the dolls could desensitise people who used them to the physical, emotional and psychological harm caused by sexual abuse.
"These dolls are far from harmless and do not prevent people from offending against children in the future - quite the contrary," she said.
"This is why the AFP will pursue any form of child exploitation or activity that encourages or reinforces the sexual abuse of children. This includes sexual acts using items depicting children such as these dolls, which are legally considered child exploitation material."
ABF Acting Commander Operations Queensland, Amanda Coppleman, said today's result highlighted what can be achieved when law enforcement agencies working together to combat abhorrent and illegal behaviour.
"The detection by ABF officers of the doll last year shows the ABF is committed to protecting the Australian community, and will continue to work closely with agencies such as the AFP to ensure we achieve this mission," Regional Commander Coppleman said.
