this post was submitted on 20 Aug 2026
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Child-like sex dolls are being stopped at Australia’s border. They could be an early child protection warning (theconversation.com)
submitted 3 days ago by arbilp3@aussie.zone to c/australia@aussie.zone
31 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

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.

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[–] stevles@aussie.zone 18 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Honestly, if someone could show me proof that this stopped predators from acting on their deranged fantasies with actual children, I'd be all for making these legal.

However, and I know nothing about the psychology of this, but it'd likely have the opposite effect.

[–] Yeoldetelephone@aussie.zone 10 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Not a psychologist, nor have I done research on CSAM, but have been in a team doing addiction research from another discipline.

An orgasm is a biological reward for behaviour, and if that behaviour involves representations of children then they are being rewarded for sexualising child-thing, which would probably reinforce the behaviour or increase its value when real children are encountered. There is little to no evidence supporting what's called the thermodynamic model of addiction (Ie. "pressure release") and long term behaviours tend expand rather than being relieved with repetition.

Additionally it would be very hard (albeit possible in some way I assume) to do any ethical research on this to get the answers you are after.

[–] stevles@aussie.zone 4 points 1 day 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.

[–] Zozano@aussie.zone 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I think the default position should be that we need proof that it causes harm before making it illegal.

I don't think it's right to make criminals out of people who aren't hurting others.

[–] T4peMeasure@aussie.zone 0 points 2 days ago (3 children)

i believe it's quite an accepted pattern of human nature that what we dream/ fantasize/ aspire to do, we would want to do and carry it out in the real-world. hence these child-sex-dolls are dangerous for kids in the society.

[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 3 points 1 day ago

No.

That's actually quite dangerous wording that has very visible roots in purity politicking and censorship. Fantasy by its very nature is disconnected from action in a healthy human psyche.

I am being very clear that i am not advocating any form of csam, but the subject to hand is being used to permit entry of a very broad accusation here.

[–] TwistedTurtle@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago

That's the type of rhetoric they used against video games, rap music, and D&D.

[–] Zozano@aussie.zone -2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

i believe it's quite an accepted pattern of human nature that what we dream/ fantasize/ aspire to do, we would want to do and carry it out in the real-world.

The evidence suggests that the use of sex toys reduces the drive to actuate those desires

hence these child-sex-dolls are dangerous for kids in the society.

You haven't proven this, just asserted it poorly.

[–] arbilp3@aussie.zone 3 points 3 days ago

That's why they want to research this more. It's so necessary.