The JUSTICE Act (reintroduced for 2021) is a proposed law that would ban sex dolls that appear to be underage, which the government claims lead to rape and child sexual abuse. But the truth is that there is no substance to these claims. The JUSTICE Act is really just a ploy to expand obscenity law once again, so that a much broader range of sex toys and speech can be banned in future.
The JUSTICE Act wouldn’t stop those who abuse children. In fact, the world’s leading experts on the psychology of sexual offending against children believe that dolls might even reduce child sexual abuse, by providing a victimless alternative for some people who are sexually attracted to children. We support research to find out the truth.
However the law would affect law-abiding owners of sex toys, who would be treated as sex offenders simply for ordering a doll that the government claims looks younger than 18. In other countries where the ownership of such dolls is banned, charges have been brought over dolls that were intended to represent adults—simply because they were produced in a smaller size for easier handling, or because they have A-cup breasts, or because they have enlarged anime-style eyes.
The law is clear: it is unconstitutional to criminalize the possession of sex toys (Reliable Consultants, Inc. v. Earle) or other material judged as “obscene” that doesn’t depict real children (Stanley v. Georgia). Banning sex dolls would not save children from sexual abuse, but it would needlessly and harmfully create a new category of sexual offenders. We’re committed to fighting the injustice of the JUSTICE Act, you can help us to do that. Read more in our letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee.