Louisiana lawmakers seek to ban sex dolls that look like children

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Following in the footsteps of a handful of other states, Louisiana is moving closer to outlawing sex dolls that look like children with a bill that would make it a crime to knowingly possess, distribute, sell or manufacture such items.

The bill, which received unanimous bipartisan support from members of the Senate Monday and advanced to the House, addresses a problem that multiple lawmakers said they were not aware of. According to proponents of the bill, the dolls resemble children 12 and younger and are used for sexual gratification.

“Often times I think I have heard it all,” Sen. Regina Barrow said of unusual issues that are brought to light during legislative sessions. “But this, I am lost for words.”

Sen. Beth Mizell, the author of the bill, said she herself had not heard of the issue until a recent conversation with a U.S. Department of Homeland Security agent about human trafficking. During their conversation, the agent told Mizell that they had received a “a very realistic” child-like sex doll that was addressed to someone in Metairie, Louisiana. However, because Louisiana does not have any type of prohibition related to the doll, there was nothing they could do.

“We haven’t arrested anybody because we don’t have a law that allows them (police) to go out on a call for this to to arrest anybody,” Mizell, a Republican, said during a committee hearing last week. “The concern here, really, is the sexualization of children.”

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