Jailed: Man, 49, who tried to import child-like sex doll in first UK prosecution of its kind

A man who tried to import a child-like sex doll has been jailed in what is thought to be one of the first prosecutions of its kind in the UK.

Andrew Dobson, 49, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Friday to two years and eight months behind bars after pleading guilty to importing an indecent object, two counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing indecent images of children.

The court heard how Dobson, of Merrivale Road, Wistaston in Crewe, triggered an investigation at East Midlands Airport on September 23 last year, Cheshire Police said.

Border Force officers, acting under the direction of the Fast Parcel Joint Border Intelligence Unit, identified a parcel labelled as a mannequin, but which was found to contain an obscene child-like doll.

This was addressed to Dobson and had been purchased from Hong Kong.

The package was immediately withheld and officers from Cheshire Constabulary notified.

Dobson was arrested at his home and following a search indecent images of children were found on his computer.

During his interview, Dobson admitted buying the child-like doll to use for sex and for his own sexual gratification.

MORE: Grenfell Tower fire was caused by faulty Hotpoint fridge as police consider ‘manslaughter’
MORE: Council warns of ‘Dale Farm part 2’ at land close to notorious Essex site
MORE: Church of England colluded with Bishop who abused children for 20 years

He also admitted downloading child abuse images and movies online.

Detective Constable Andy Kent, of Cheshire Constabulary’s Paedophile and Cyber Investigation Unit, said: ‘Knowing child sex dolls exist and are available for sex offenders to buy is sickening.

‘For Dobson to go to great lengths to import one for his own sexual gratification shows the extent of his paraphilic interest in children.

‘This conviction is the first of its kind for Cheshire, cases like these are also very rare across the country, however I want to make it clear that importing a child sex doll is a criminal offence.

‘Dobson should serve as an example to those who think they can also commit this crime for their own selfish needs.’

Border Force’s Julian Doughty, Senior Manager at the Fast Parcel Joint Border Intelligence Unit, said: ‘The Border Force detection at East Midlands Airport was the vital first step in the identification and conviction of an individual who was found to be involved in other serious offences against children.

‘The importation of dolls like this is a new phenomena and Dobson is one of the first people sentenced in the UK in relation to such an item.

‘Working closely with law enforcement partners, Border Force is determined to bring those involved in this type of offence to justice.’