The US House Of Representatives has approved a bill that bans sex robots deliberately designed to look like children as young as three years old.
Known as the CREEPER (Curbing Realistic Exploitative Electronic Pedophile Robots) Act, the bill bans the importation and sale of anatomically correct child sex dolls and robots.
Congressman Dan Donovan said: "Once an abuser tires of practicing on a doll. It's a small step to move on to a child.
"It's a uniquely vile person who preys on children to fulfill horrific pedophilic urges. During my 20 years as a prosecutor, I put away animals who played out their disgusting fantasies on innocent children. What I saw and heard was enough to make anybody sick.
"Now, as a legislator in Congress, I'm introducing a bill to ban the newest outlet for pedophiles: child sex dolls. They don't belong in our communities."
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According to the Fresno Bee - these child sex dolls tend to be imported from China, Hong Kong and Japan. To avoid seizure by authorities, they're often labelled as mannequins or models, although no current law actually exists to prevent the importation and sale of the sex dolls.
"These dolls can be programmed to simulate rape," said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, a Republican from Virginia.
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He added: "The very thought makes me nauseous.
"I am saddened that there are people in this world who would create realistic child sex dolls and distraught that there are people in this world who would buy them.
"Customers can order bespoke dolls, providing pictures of specific children they would like the doll to resemble. They can indicate a preferred facial expression such as sadness or fear."
Now that the bill has passed the House of Representatives, it will move onto the Senate.
Featured Image Credit: PA