Hundreds of child sex dolls seized at UK borders, sparking legal crackdown

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Hundreds of child sex dolls have been seized at Britain's borders before they can be used by paedophiles, prosecutors have revealed as they launch a crackdown.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has issued new legal guidance to help bring charges against importers and jail them for up to seven years.

A total of 230 suspected child sex dolls have been seized by the Border Force and referred to police since September 2016.

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Normally purchased online, they are designed to be as anatomically close to a child in size, features and weight as possible.

While some manufacturers have claimed the dolls help prevent paedophiles committing sexual offences against children, charities have said there is no proof for the assertion and many buyers have previous convictions.

Shape Created with Sketch. UK news in pictures Show all 50 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. UK news in pictures 1/50 1 April 2019 Fire fighters attend to two police cars that were destroyed after being set on fire outside Goldthorpe police station in South Yorkshire in a suspected arson attack PA 2/50 31 March 2019 Forensics teams work at the scene of a stabbing in Edmonton in London. Four people have been stabbed in a spate of knife attacks in the north of the capital over the weekend Getty 3/50 30 March 2019 Workers from the Honda plant in Swindon during a protest march through the town as the car giant will be urged to reverse its decision to close its UK plant Unite South West/PA 4/50 29 March 2019 Pro-Brexit protesters outside Westminster as MPs voted on a Government motion on the EU withdrawal PA 5/50 28 March 2019 England football captain Harry Kane is made an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by the Duke of Cambridge during an Investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace PA 6/50 27 March 2019 Gallery staff give a final dusting to the 'Olympe' sculpture by Aspencrow, modelled on Cara Delevingne and an interpretation of Medusa, as it is unveiled at the JD Malay Gallery in Mayfair, London PA 7/50 26 March 2019 PD Marci with handler PC Neil Billany, PD Kai with handler PC Jean Pearce, PD Bruno with handler Rob Smith, PD Delta with handler PC Mark Snoxhall, PDSA vet Rosamund Ford, and PD Dave with handler PC Andy Salter at Borough market in London where the dogs were honoured with the PDSA Order of Merit for helping emergency services during the 2017 London terror attacks at Westminster Bridge, London Bridge and Borough Market PA 8/50 25 March 2019 Britain's Attorney General Geoffrey Cox arrives in Downing street, London for a cabinet meeting. British Prime Minister Theresa May will today chair a potentially volatile meeting of her cabinet amid reports of an attempted coup by colleagues over her handling of Brexit. AFP/Getty 9/50 24 March 2019 Workers peeling off stickers left on the Cabinet Office door on Whitehall, London, left by anti-Brexit campaigners after they took part in the People's Vote March PA 10/50 23 March 2019 Protesters take part in the Put It To The People March on Whitehall in London. Thousands of protesters gathered for the march from Park Lane to Parliament Square calling for a public vote on the Governments final Brexit deal Getty 11/50 22 March 2019 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves after a news briefing after meeting with EU leaders in Brussels Reuters 12/50 21 March 2019 The mosque and community centre on Albert Road in Birmingham where a police forensic team are at work after it had its windows smashed with a sledgehammer. An investigation involving counter-terrorism officers has been launched after four mosques in the Birmingham area were attacked overnight PA 13/50 20 March 2019 Gallery technicians install Edvard Munch's The Scream at the British Museum in London, ahead of the opening of Edvard Munch: love and angst exhibition, which runs from 11 April to 21 July PA 14/50 19 March 2019 The 'tall ship' William II passes a wind turbine as it sails along the north east coast near Whitley Bay in Tyne and Wear after it set off from Blyth in Northumberland on a voyage round the coastline of Great Britain calling at 10 ports en route and changing crews at each stage. The Blyth Tall Ship project is a charity working alongside Blyth community volunteers to recapture the spirit of adventure that was employed in the town to discover the Antarctic 200 years ago and the turbine is part of a pilot field operated by EDF off Blyth which uses concrete float-and-submerge foundations PA 15/50 18 March 2019 Messenger, the largest bronze cast sculpture in the UK, arrives in Plymouth Sound by barge as it makes its way to be installed outside Theater Royal Plymouth, Devon PA 16/50 17 March 2019 Flooding in Silsdend, Yorkshire. Heavy rain has caused widespread flooding across the country. Flood warnings remain in place across the UK PA 17/50 16 March 2019 Police at the scene in Fulham, west London where a 29-year-old man was stabbed to death this morning. The Metropolitan Police said it was called "to reports of a fight in progress" by ambulance crews and arrived on the scene at about 12.27am. The victim was found with stab wounds and died at the scene at 12.56am despite attempts by paramedics and members of the public to save his life PA 18/50 15 March 2019 Schoolchildren gather around Queen Victoria Memorial at Buckingham Palace as they take part in a student climate protest in London. Thousands of pupils from schools, colleges and universities across the UK will walk out in the second major strike against climate change this year. Young people nationwide are calling on the Government to declare a climate emergency and take action. Similar strikes are taking place around the world today including in Japan and Australia, inspired by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg who criticised world leaders at a United Nations climate conference Getty 19/50 14 March 2019 Families of those killed during Bloody Sunday march through Bogside in Derry, Northern Ireland. The Public Prosecution Service announced only one former British soldier is to be put on trial in connection with his role in the shootings that left 13 people dead in Derry on 30 January 1972. Families of those killed gathered outside The Museum of Free Derry, yards from where the killings took place, before marching to the city centre hotel to hear the announcement Charles McQuillan Getty 20/50 13 March 2019 Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond leaves 11 Downing Street as he heads to the House of Commons, to deliver his Spring Statement. He announced he was slashing the UK growth forecast and warned no-deal Brexit will destroy pledge to end austerity PA 21/50 12 March 2019 British Synchronised swimmers Kate Shortman and Isabelle Thorpe, attempting to recreate their World Championship routine in a pool filled with plastic for The Big Bang Fair challenge, opening this week at the NEC Birmingham. The campaign for the Big Bang competition, which is the largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) for young people in the UK has been created to help highlight how the eight million tonnes of plastic dumped in the world's oceans every year affects marine life PA 22/50 11 March 2019 Snow surrounds the Tan Hill pub in North Yorkshire PA 23/50 10 March 2019 A man feeds food to dogs during the 'Brexit Dogs Dinner' protest outside the Houses of Parliament in London Reuters 24/50 9 March 2019 Protesters from the climate change pressure group Extinction Rebellion demonstrate by pouring fake blood onto the street outside Downing Street in London Reuters 25/50 8 March 2019 A woman runs with her Komondor dog as it is judged in a show ring on the second day of the Crufts dog show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham AFP/Getty 26/50 7 March 2019 Scaffolding which has blown down in strong winds in Hampstead, north London Robert Berg/Twitter/PA Wire 27/50 6 March 2019 Police and bomb disposal services outside the University of Glasgow after the building was evacuated when a suspect package was found in the mailroom PA 28/50 5 March 2019 Police officers secure the scene where a suspicious package was found near Waterloo railway station. Other packages were also found at Heathrow Airport and London City Airport, with the police saying they were bombs. Counterterror officers are investigating the three devices as linked following a series of evacuations. One of the packages opened by office staff at Heathrow Airport burst into flames. Scotland Yard did not rule out the existence of other bombs. “The packages – all A4-sized white postal bags containing yellow Jiffy bags - have been assessed by specialist officers to be small improvised explosive devices,” a spokesperson said. “These devices, at this early stage of the investigation, appear capable of igniting an initially small fire when opened. “The Met Police Counter Terrorism Command is treating the incidents as a linked series and is keeping an open mind regarding motives.” Reuters 29/50 4 March 2019 Large waves crash over the sea walls at Cleveleys near Blackpool, as the remains of Storm Freya, which has battered Britain with gales, heavy rain and snow causes widespread travel disruption PA 30/50 3 March 2019 Christopher Hepworth with partner Tanisha Prince (right) on their way to victory in the annual UK Wife Carrying Race at The Nower in Dorking, Surrey PA 31/50 2 March 2019 Police officers search near the scene on St Neot's Road in Harold Hill, east London following the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old girl on Friday night. Police were called to reports of a knife attack in the Romford area by the ambulance service at 9.25pm. The girl was pronounced dead at the scene just over an hour later. Her next of kin have been informed and detectives from the Metropolitan Police have launched a murder investigation PA 32/50 1 March 2019 Great Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Niamh Emerson celebrate after winning gold and silver medals in the women's pentathlon at the 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow Getty 33/50 28 February 2019 A painting, believed to be the second version of "Judith Beheading Holofernes" by Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, is picutred during a photocall in London following its restoration. - The 400-year-old canvas -- depicting the beheading of an Assyrian general, Holofernes, by Judith from the biblical Book of Judith -- was found in 2014 when the owners of a house near the southwestern city of Toulouse in France, were investigating a leak in the ceiling. It is a burst of violence painted in haunting tones by a Renaissance master worth at least $100 million -- or yet another fake distressing the art world. AFP/Getty 34/50 27 February 2019 Dozens of firefighters worked through the night to battle a major moorland blaze in West Yorkshire. More than 1.5sq km of Saddleworth Moor was ablaze in the early hours of Wednesday morning after the UK’s hottest winter day on record Reuters 35/50 26 February 2019 Alastair Cook after he received his knighthood at Buckingham Palace PA 36/50 25 February 2019 Nobby the polar bear cools down at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park during unseasonably warm weather. The park was covered in a blanket of snow at the end of February 2018 as the UK was hit by sub-zero temperatures. Forecasters have said that after this weekend's warm weather, temperatures later this week should return to normal PA 37/50 24 February 2019 Olivia Colman won the best actress in a leading role award for 'The Favourite' at the 91st Academy Awards in Hollywood PA 38/50 23 February 2019 Former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson seen on the big screen as he addresses a protest over the BBC's Panorama programme outside the BBC in MediaCityUK, Salford PA 39/50 22 February 2019 A girl takes a photo of her dog with daffodils in St James's Park in London PA 40/50 21 February 2019 Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and the party's Shadow Secretary of State for Departing the European Union Keir Starmer leave a meeting with European Union Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels Reuters 41/50 20 February 2019 Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker, Chuka Umunna and Mike Gapes, (middle row, left to right) Angela Smith, Luciana Berger and Ann Coffey, (front row, left to right) Sarah Woollaston, Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Joan Ryan, following a press conference for the Independent Group where the three Conservative MPs, Woollaston, Allen and Soubry, announced their resignation from the party PA 42/50 19 February 2019 A full moon sets near Whitley Bay, North Tyneside as the sun begins to rise, ahead of the super snow moon on Tuesday evening PA 43/50 18 February 2019 MP Chuka Umunna speaks during the announcement of his resignation, along with a group of six other Labour MPs, including, Luciana Berger, Mike Gapes, Angela Smith, Chris Leslie, Ann Coffey and Gavin Shuker and who will be known as the Independent Group PA 44/50 17 February 2019 Climate change activists block the road as part of an Extinction Rebellion protest outside a London Fashion Week event at Tate Britain in London, calling on the fashion industry to use its influence to help to create a sustainable world. PA 45/50 16 February 2019 Demonstrators hold a banner during a protest over BP and Iraq at the British Museum in London, Britain Reuters 46/50 15 February 2019 Schoolchildren take part in a student climate march in Parliament Square in London. Thousands of UK pupils from schools, colleges and universities will walk out for a nationwide climate change strike. Students in 60 cities from the West Country to Scotland are protesting, urging the government to declare a climate emergency and take action over the problem. They are keen that the national curriculum is reformed and the environmental crisis is communicated to the public. Similar strikes have taken place in Australia and in European countries such as Belgium and Sweden Getty 47/50 14 February 2019 A lady enjoys the beach in sunshine in Brighton, East Sussex. The Met Office forecast said Thursday and Friday would see early fog patches followed by plenty of sunshine PA 48/50 13 February 2019 Jockeys compete in the space hopper derby during the Injured Jockeys Fund Charity Raceday at Plumpton Racecourse PA 49/50 12 February 2019 Young members of Britain's opposition Labour party write on a billboard why they want Jeremy Corbyn the party leader to back a "People's Vote" second referendum on Britain's European Union membership, during a publicity stunt in Islington North, Corbyn's north London constituency. The event was organized Tuesday by "For our Future's Sake" (FFS), a nationwide group of students and young people working to stop Brexit, with the billboard provided by "Led By Donkeys" a remain supporting group using online crowd funding to pay for billboard space to put up posters highlighting quotes on Brexit made by politicians and organizations. AP 50/50 11 February 2019 Western lowland gorilla Kera, opens presents intended for her daughter Afia, in celebration of her third birthday at Bristol Zoo Gardens PA 1/50 1 April 2019 Fire fighters attend to two police cars that were destroyed after being set on fire outside Goldthorpe police station in South Yorkshire in a suspected arson attack PA 2/50 31 March 2019 Forensics teams work at the scene of a stabbing in Edmonton in London. Four people have been stabbed in a spate of knife attacks in the north of the capital over the weekend Getty 3/50 30 March 2019 Workers from the Honda plant in Swindon during a protest march through the town as the car giant will be urged to reverse its decision to close its UK plant Unite South West/PA 4/50 29 March 2019 Pro-Brexit protesters outside Westminster as MPs voted on a Government motion on the EU withdrawal PA 5/50 28 March 2019 England football captain Harry Kane is made an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by the Duke of Cambridge during an Investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace PA 6/50 27 March 2019 Gallery staff give a final dusting to the 'Olympe' sculpture by Aspencrow, modelled on Cara Delevingne and an interpretation of Medusa, as it is unveiled at the JD Malay Gallery in Mayfair, London PA 7/50 26 March 2019 PD Marci with handler PC Neil Billany, PD Kai with handler PC Jean Pearce, PD Bruno with handler Rob Smith, PD Delta with handler PC Mark Snoxhall, PDSA vet Rosamund Ford, and PD Dave with handler PC Andy Salter at Borough market in London where the dogs were honoured with the PDSA Order of Merit for helping emergency services during the 2017 London terror attacks at Westminster Bridge, London Bridge and Borough Market PA 8/50 25 March 2019 Britain's Attorney General Geoffrey Cox arrives in Downing street, London for a cabinet meeting. British Prime Minister Theresa May will today chair a potentially volatile meeting of her cabinet amid reports of an attempted coup by colleagues over her handling of Brexit. AFP/Getty 9/50 24 March 2019 Workers peeling off stickers left on the Cabinet Office door on Whitehall, London, left by anti-Brexit campaigners after they took part in the People's Vote March PA 10/50 23 March 2019 Protesters take part in the Put It To The People March on Whitehall in London. Thousands of protesters gathered for the march from Park Lane to Parliament Square calling for a public vote on the Governments final Brexit deal Getty 11/50 22 March 2019 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves after a news briefing after meeting with EU leaders in Brussels Reuters 12/50 21 March 2019 The mosque and community centre on Albert Road in Birmingham where a police forensic team are at work after it had its windows smashed with a sledgehammer. An investigation involving counter-terrorism officers has been launched after four mosques in the Birmingham area were attacked overnight PA 13/50 20 March 2019 Gallery technicians install Edvard Munch's The Scream at the British Museum in London, ahead of the opening of Edvard Munch: love and angst exhibition, which runs from 11 April to 21 July PA 14/50 19 March 2019 The 'tall ship' William II passes a wind turbine as it sails along the north east coast near Whitley Bay in Tyne and Wear after it set off from Blyth in Northumberland on a voyage round the coastline of Great Britain calling at 10 ports en route and changing crews at each stage. The Blyth Tall Ship project is a charity working alongside Blyth community volunteers to recapture the spirit of adventure that was employed in the town to discover the Antarctic 200 years ago and the turbine is part of a pilot field operated by EDF off Blyth which uses concrete float-and-submerge foundations PA 15/50 18 March 2019 Messenger, the largest bronze cast sculpture in the UK, arrives in Plymouth Sound by barge as it makes its way to be installed outside Theater Royal Plymouth, Devon PA 16/50 17 March 2019 Flooding in Silsdend, Yorkshire. Heavy rain has caused widespread flooding across the country. Flood warnings remain in place across the UK PA 17/50 16 March 2019 Police at the scene in Fulham, west London where a 29-year-old man was stabbed to death this morning. The Metropolitan Police said it was called "to reports of a fight in progress" by ambulance crews and arrived on the scene at about 12.27am. The victim was found with stab wounds and died at the scene at 12.56am despite attempts by paramedics and members of the public to save his life PA 18/50 15 March 2019 Schoolchildren gather around Queen Victoria Memorial at Buckingham Palace as they take part in a student climate protest in London. Thousands of pupils from schools, colleges and universities across the UK will walk out in the second major strike against climate change this year. Young people nationwide are calling on the Government to declare a climate emergency and take action. Similar strikes are taking place around the world today including in Japan and Australia, inspired by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg who criticised world leaders at a United Nations climate conference Getty 19/50 14 March 2019 Families of those killed during Bloody Sunday march through Bogside in Derry, Northern Ireland. The Public Prosecution Service announced only one former British soldier is to be put on trial in connection with his role in the shootings that left 13 people dead in Derry on 30 January 1972. Families of those killed gathered outside The Museum of Free Derry, yards from where the killings took place, before marching to the city centre hotel to hear the announcement Charles McQuillan Getty 20/50 13 March 2019 Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond leaves 11 Downing Street as he heads to the House of Commons, to deliver his Spring Statement. He announced he was slashing the UK growth forecast and warned no-deal Brexit will destroy pledge to end austerity PA 21/50 12 March 2019 British Synchronised swimmers Kate Shortman and Isabelle Thorpe, attempting to recreate their World Championship routine in a pool filled with plastic for The Big Bang Fair challenge, opening this week at the NEC Birmingham. The campaign for the Big Bang competition, which is the largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) for young people in the UK has been created to help highlight how the eight million tonnes of plastic dumped in the world's oceans every year affects marine life PA 22/50 11 March 2019 Snow surrounds the Tan Hill pub in North Yorkshire PA 23/50 10 March 2019 A man feeds food to dogs during the 'Brexit Dogs Dinner' protest outside the Houses of Parliament in London Reuters 24/50 9 March 2019 Protesters from the climate change pressure group Extinction Rebellion demonstrate by pouring fake blood onto the street outside Downing Street in London Reuters 25/50 8 March 2019 A woman runs with her Komondor dog as it is judged in a show ring on the second day of the Crufts dog show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham AFP/Getty 26/50 7 March 2019 Scaffolding which has blown down in strong winds in Hampstead, north London Robert Berg/Twitter/PA Wire 27/50 6 March 2019 Police and bomb disposal services outside the University of Glasgow after the building was evacuated when a suspect package was found in the mailroom PA 28/50 5 March 2019 Police officers secure the scene where a suspicious package was found near Waterloo railway station. Other packages were also found at Heathrow Airport and London City Airport, with the police saying they were bombs. Counterterror officers are investigating the three devices as linked following a series of evacuations. One of the packages opened by office staff at Heathrow Airport burst into flames. Scotland Yard did not rule out the existence of other bombs. “The packages – all A4-sized white postal bags containing yellow Jiffy bags - have been assessed by specialist officers to be small improvised explosive devices,” a spokesperson said. “These devices, at this early stage of the investigation, appear capable of igniting an initially small fire when opened. “The Met Police Counter Terrorism Command is treating the incidents as a linked series and is keeping an open mind regarding motives.” Reuters 29/50 4 March 2019 Large waves crash over the sea walls at Cleveleys near Blackpool, as the remains of Storm Freya, which has battered Britain with gales, heavy rain and snow causes widespread travel disruption PA 30/50 3 March 2019 Christopher Hepworth with partner Tanisha Prince (right) on their way to victory in the annual UK Wife Carrying Race at The Nower in Dorking, Surrey PA 31/50 2 March 2019 Police officers search near the scene on St Neot's Road in Harold Hill, east London following the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old girl on Friday night. Police were called to reports of a knife attack in the Romford area by the ambulance service at 9.25pm. The girl was pronounced dead at the scene just over an hour later. Her next of kin have been informed and detectives from the Metropolitan Police have launched a murder investigation PA 32/50 1 March 2019 Great Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Niamh Emerson celebrate after winning gold and silver medals in the women's pentathlon at the 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow Getty 33/50 28 February 2019 A painting, believed to be the second version of "Judith Beheading Holofernes" by Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, is picutred during a photocall in London following its restoration. - The 400-year-old canvas -- depicting the beheading of an Assyrian general, Holofernes, by Judith from the biblical Book of Judith -- was found in 2014 when the owners of a house near the southwestern city of Toulouse in France, were investigating a leak in the ceiling. It is a burst of violence painted in haunting tones by a Renaissance master worth at least $100 million -- or yet another fake distressing the art world. AFP/Getty 34/50 27 February 2019 Dozens of firefighters worked through the night to battle a major moorland blaze in West Yorkshire. More than 1.5sq km of Saddleworth Moor was ablaze in the early hours of Wednesday morning after the UK’s hottest winter day on record Reuters 35/50 26 February 2019 Alastair Cook after he received his knighthood at Buckingham Palace PA 36/50 25 February 2019 Nobby the polar bear cools down at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park during unseasonably warm weather. The park was covered in a blanket of snow at the end of February 2018 as the UK was hit by sub-zero temperatures. Forecasters have said that after this weekend's warm weather, temperatures later this week should return to normal PA 37/50 24 February 2019 Olivia Colman won the best actress in a leading role award for 'The Favourite' at the 91st Academy Awards in Hollywood PA 38/50 23 February 2019 Former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson seen on the big screen as he addresses a protest over the BBC's Panorama programme outside the BBC in MediaCityUK, Salford PA 39/50 22 February 2019 A girl takes a photo of her dog with daffodils in St James's Park in London PA 40/50 21 February 2019 Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and the party's Shadow Secretary of State for Departing the European Union Keir Starmer leave a meeting with European Union Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels Reuters 41/50 20 February 2019 Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker, Chuka Umunna and Mike Gapes, (middle row, left to right) Angela Smith, Luciana Berger and Ann Coffey, (front row, left to right) Sarah Woollaston, Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Joan Ryan, following a press conference for the Independent Group where the three Conservative MPs, Woollaston, Allen and Soubry, announced their resignation from the party PA 42/50 19 February 2019 A full moon sets near Whitley Bay, North Tyneside as the sun begins to rise, ahead of the super snow moon on Tuesday evening PA 43/50 18 February 2019 MP Chuka Umunna speaks during the announcement of his resignation, along with a group of six other Labour MPs, including, Luciana Berger, Mike Gapes, Angela Smith, Chris Leslie, Ann Coffey and Gavin Shuker and who will be known as the Independent Group PA 44/50 17 February 2019 Climate change activists block the road as part of an Extinction Rebellion protest outside a London Fashion Week event at Tate Britain in London, calling on the fashion industry to use its influence to help to create a sustainable world. PA 45/50 16 February 2019 Demonstrators hold a banner during a protest over BP and Iraq at the British Museum in London, Britain Reuters 46/50 15 February 2019 Schoolchildren take part in a student climate march in Parliament Square in London. Thousands of UK pupils from schools, colleges and universities will walk out for a nationwide climate change strike. Students in 60 cities from the West Country to Scotland are protesting, urging the government to declare a climate emergency and take action over the problem. They are keen that the national curriculum is reformed and the environmental crisis is communicated to the public. Similar strikes have taken place in Australia and in European countries such as Belgium and Sweden Getty 47/50 14 February 2019 A lady enjoys the beach in sunshine in Brighton, East Sussex. The Met Office forecast said Thursday and Friday would see early fog patches followed by plenty of sunshine PA 48/50 13 February 2019 Jockeys compete in the space hopper derby during the Injured Jockeys Fund Charity Raceday at Plumpton Racecourse PA 49/50 12 February 2019 Young members of Britain's opposition Labour party write on a billboard why they want Jeremy Corbyn the party leader to back a "People's Vote" second referendum on Britain's European Union membership, during a publicity stunt in Islington North, Corbyn's north London constituency. The event was organized Tuesday by "For our Future's Sake" (FFS), a nationwide group of students and young people working to stop Brexit, with the billboard provided by "Led By Donkeys" a remain supporting group using online crowd funding to pay for billboard space to put up posters highlighting quotes on Brexit made by politicians and organizations. AP 50/50 11 February 2019 Western lowland gorilla Kera, opens presents intended for her daughter Afia, in celebration of her third birthday at Bristol Zoo Gardens PA

“Children's charities and the National Crime Agency have called for tough criminal enforcement against the obscene objects, which are manufactured in a way that enables sex acts to be performed on them,” a spokesperson for the CPS said. "While no law makes child sex dolls specifically illegal, the new guidance aims to help prosecutors utilise existing laws by classifying child sex dolls as “obscene”.

This will allow importers be charged under customs laws forbidding “indecent or obscene articles”, with a maximum jail sentence of seven years.

Sellers and distributors will be punished with up to five years imprisonment under the Obscene Publications Act and sending the dolls by post will be held as a violation of the Postal Services Act 2000 and punishable by up to a year in prison.

Greg McGill, the CPS director of legal services, said: “There is a clear public interest in deterring those who sustain the market for obscene child sex dolls and the CPS would like to make clear that their sale or importation is a serious criminal offence.

“We will not hesitate to apply the law against anybody caught encouraging or indulging in this disturbing behaviour – and this guidance will aid our prosecutors to do just that.”

The NSPCC has previously called on ministers to close a “legal loophole” by making it an offence to create, distribute or possess the dolls.

But the children's charity welcomed the new measures, which it hoped would “clamp down” on distributors and act as a deterrent to potential buyers.

“There is no ambiguity that they are designed to depict children and their purpose is to stimulate sex,” a spokesperson added. “We have serious worries that adults who use sex dolls could become desensitised and their behaviour become normal to them so that they go on to harm children.”

The measures were revealed a day after a 61-year-old man was jailed following an investigation started because he imported a child sex doll.

Donald Styles, 61, from Newton Abbot in Devon, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for possession and making indecent photographs on Wednesday.

Last month, a 62-year-old man from Kent was jailed for 28 weeks for ordering a 100cm tall doll from China, which was worth £500.

Brian Leach claimed the doll was to be a companion, but police said the package included accessories “which clearly indicated it to be an object for sexual gratification”.

Leach admitted an importation offence and making indecent images of a child.

National Crime Agency specialist operations manager Hazel Stewart said: “There is no place in society for these dolls. Importing them is a crucial flag to potential offending against children.”

She added that 20 of 26 recent offenders convicted over child sex dolls were also found with indecent images of children.

We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.

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RustyTheRed on April 1st, 2019 at 16:05 UTC »

How is this r/ABoringDystopia material?

watercolorheart on April 1st, 2019 at 15:45 UTC »

stimulate sex

Stimulate or simulate? Hmm.

braincube on April 1st, 2019 at 15:14 UTC »

Seeing a lot of arguments here and no science or sources.