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SC State Senator Prefiles Legislation that Builds on Congressman Duncan's JUSTICE Act

December 8, 2020

SHEALY PREFILES LEGISLATION TO STOP SICKENING PRACTICE OF POSSESSING CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATIVE DOLLS

Builds on Congressman Duncan's JUSTICE Act Filed in Congress

Washington, D.C. - United States Congressman Jeff Duncan (SC-03) and South Carolina State Senator Katrina Shealy (District 23) work on legislation to protect children and ban "child-like sex dolls" on the federal and state levels:

Senator Katrina Shealy (R-Lexington) plans to introduce new legislation during the State Senate prefile period, on December 9, that adds the practice of buying, selling or possession of figures or robots that resemble a child's likeness – also known as "child-like sex dolls," to the state offense for obscenity.

Senator Shealy, the Chairman of the Senate Family & Veterans' Services Committee, says she planned to file the legislation when she learned of an alarming trend nationwide of the trafficking of child-like dolls, and that many states have not addressed legislation to expressly prohibit the figures intended for use in sexual acts.

"I have been leading the charge on the federal level with the JUSTICE Act to ban child-like sex dolls," said Congressman Jeff Duncan. "Banning these dolls is simply commonsense, and it would solve a deeply disturbing, real world problem being perpetuated by pedophiles and predators. I applaud Senator Shealy for working to do the same in the South Carolina General Assembly."

"The practice of exploiting children is sickening and we are going to make it crystal clear that this behavior is not welcome in South Carolina," Senator Katrina Shealy says. "My hope would be that legislation to address such abhorrent acts would not be needed here, but the disturbing trend has impacted other states; it was time to take a second look at our laws and ensure that children are protected in all areas of predatory acts."

Background:

Child-like sex dolls are manufactured around the globe, many coming from China, and imported into the United States by predators and pedophiles. They are used by these sick individuals as practice, oftentimes with a real child's likeness depicted on the doll. These dolls have been banned in Great Britain and Australia, and states in the U.S. are beginning to follow suit including bans in Florida and Tennessee.

Federal Legislation

The Jurists United to Stop Trafficking Imitation Child Exploitation (JUSTICE) Act, sponsored by Congressman Jeff Duncan, is a bipartisan bill in the United States House of Representatives which would add "child-like sex dolls" to the already legally defined list of banned obscenities that cannot be imported into the United States or transported across state lines. The penalty for violation under that section of law includes up to five years in prison per offense. Similar legislation passed the House of Representatives unanimously in the 115th Congress. Groups supporting this legislation include the Stop Abuse Campaign and the Child Rescue Coalition.

  • Read H.R. 4150 HERE.
  • View the Congressman's recent remarks on the JUSTICE Act HERE.
  • View the Congressman's recent joint op-ed with Andrew Willis, founder of the Stop Abuse Campaign, HERE.

State Legislation

The new legislation, sponsored by Senator Katrina Shealy, would define a ‘figurine' as a figure, mannequin, or robot created in a child's likeness that is anatomically correct, with features of, or with features that resemble those of, a minor, and that are intended for use in sexual acts. The legislation further creates a charge for a person knowingly disseminating obscenity if he: buys, sells, delivers, rents, distributes, or otherwise provides any figurine for the representation, description, or use of the obscene. The penalty for the violation under the law, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned not more than five years or fined not more than ten thousand dollars, or both.

  • Read the Introduced Legislation HERE.