Chris M
Sex robot and doll maker Realdoll has said that it is regularly required to pass information from customer enquiries to the FBI.
Speaking to podcast Two Girls One Mic, Michael Wilson, Production Manager and part-owner of Realdoll explained that because some of the markets that the company operates in are at the border of acceptability, the need to comply has become inevitable.
“I actually have no problem saying this we have connections with, with the FBI,” explains Wilson. “Actually, because we get a lot of people that want children dolls and things along those lines. I have mixed feelings on that.”
The debate over dolls resembling children has raged for as long as sex dolls have existed. Supporters argue that at least having a sexual relationship with a robot minor is prevents harm coming to a human child. Opponents argue that it normalizes deviant behaviour and can actually be a gateway to real-life child abuse.
Realdoll doesn’t make child dolls – but Wilson isn’t completely against the idea, if there were the types of guarantees that are unlikely at this time.
“If there was this, like, a study done that was 100% unequivocally for sure, 100%…. [that said] if we made child dolls, it would prevent and not open a door to more, but actually prevent any hurt coming to children.”
“We had a researcher actually come in here and interview most of our staff for about a week asking a lot of questions for a paper that she was writing about sexual deviancy in regards to using dolls to replace or subvert those desires. And at the time, this was only a couple years ago, there wasn’t a lot of data to support that it would actually stop it. Actually, some data even pointed that it could increase those desires,” Wilson added.
For now, it seems, just asking the question of availability is enough to land a potential customer in hot water with the FBI:
“Essentially we just have a contact that we send emails to with names and stuff like that in the event that that’s it. I mean, I’m guessing those people are already on a list because if there’s they’re sending you that email they’re probably already looking at porn that’s questionable.”
Wilson adds that the problem has been compounded by the use of live chat facilities in customer service, where people feel more confident in making their requests.
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