BRIAN HOPKINS FROM DEVON RECEIVES SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR CHILD SEX DOLL IMPORTATION AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
In September 2017, Brian Hopkins, a 40-year-old man from Devon, was involved in a case concerning the importation of a life-size child sex doll and the possession of indecent images of children.Hopkins ordered a 3ft 9ins doll from Hong Kong, which border force officials seized upon its arrival at Stansted Airport in October last year.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) was alerted to Hopkins’ activities and conducted a raid on his residence in Mannamead, Plymouth.
Authorities discovered that Hopkins possessed hundreds of indecent images of children on his mobile phone, with more than 240 classified as category A, the most severe type.
During police interviews, Hopkins admitted that he found it stimulating to possess these images and stated that he had purchased the doll for sexual purposes.
He claimed ignorance of the illegality of importing such a doll.
Hopkins subsequently pleaded guilty to importing an indecent or obscene article, four counts of possessing indecent images of children, and three counts of possessing extreme pornography.
At Plymouth Crown Court, he was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, and was subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.
Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years.
In a related case from August 2017, a man was charged with importing a life-like child sex doll from China.
Brian Hopkins was accused of multiple offenses, including making or possessing indecent images of children.
Court documents detailed charges involving one count of creating two category A indecent moving images of a child, along with numerous counts related to indecent still images across categories B and C, totaling hundreds of images.
Hopkins faced additional charges for possessing extreme pornographic images involving animals, such as a person performing intercourse with an Alsatian dog and other acts that could cause serious injury.
All allegations pertained to incidents from November 15, 2016.
He was also charged with attempting to evade customs legislation related to the importation of a child sex doll, deemed an obscene article.
He is scheduled for sentencing at Plymouth Crown Court.
This case highlights the disturbing trade of child sex dolls, which are reportedly sold openly on platforms like Amazon and eBay.
The NCA revealed that, over a year, they had seized 123 silicone dolls, each costing around £800 and imported from the Far East, available through private sellers online.
The NSPCC called for online retailers to take immediate action to remove these grotesque dolls from their listings.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, David Turner, aged 72, was convicted of importing a similar doll for purportedly 'companionship' purposes, claiming to have dressed it in children’s clothing.
Turner admitted to the authorities that he had used the doll this way but initially claimed he bought it just for companionship.
Turner was arrested in November after customs intercepted another doll from China.
During his trial at Canterbury Crown Court, Judge Simon James stated that any reasonable person would find the dolls obscene.
Turner, who had previously admitted possessing 34,000 images of children and is a former school governor and church warden, is due for sentencing next month.
His wife, who is deceased, was reportedly unhappy upon learning of his activities.
The NCA emphasized the importance of reporting any inadvertent exposure to child abuse images, and authorities continue to monitor and act against these disturbing trade practices online.
