It’s illegal to import or possess them, but child-like sex dolls can be bought online. Each seizure is an opportunity to prevent real child sex abuse.

Importing these products is illegal. Possession is also a Commonwealth offence carrying a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment.

Available figures indicate the scale is significant, but difficult to track consistently. The Department of Home Affairs recorded 103 detections in 2020–21, 88 in 2021–22 and 29 in 2022–23.

An Australian Institute of Criminology review called for more research in the area, but identified plausible risks involved with owning them, including desensitisation, sexual objectification of children, escalation and use in grooming.

The appropriate response is therefore neither to dismiss these objects as harmless fantasy nor to treat possession as automatic proof of future offending. It’s to recognise them as potential risk indicators that may justify investigation.

  • stevles@aussie.zoneEnglish
    1·
    3 hours ago

    Thanks for the information. Based on studies and articles I’ve come across, paraphilias such as paedophilia, sadism, and many others tend to behave like addictions; allowing oneself to indulge increases the likelihood of needing that “fix” again. Overall, normalising sexual interactions with child-like dolls seems like a bad idea, especially since paedophilic urges should never be acted upon to reduce offending against children.