NBC News: "Would child sex robots stop pedophilia- or promote it?

quote:

---

Now some experts are further stoking the sexbot debate by arguing that the devices could become a deterrent to child molestation. They envision a future in which pedophiles are prescribed childlike sexbots (CSBs) so they can act out their urges without victimizing anyone.

---

quote:

---

There’s wide agreement among experts that neither child sex dolls nor CSBs should be freely available for purchase. But some experts say the time has come to conduct scientific research to gauge their possible use as a deterrent for pedophilia, a psychiatric disorder that causes sexual attraction to prepubescent children and that is now treated with psychotherapy or, in some cases, libido-curbing drugs.

---

quote:

---

“Child sex dolls are already a reality, and in the near future childlike sexbots will exist, so we have to decide what to do about this issue,” says Marc Behrendt, a philosopher at ULB University in Belgium. “Do we ban them completely, or do we investigate on a small scale whether this technology could be helpful in preventing attacks?"

---

quote:

---

With child-sized silicone sex dolls already being made and shipped globally by firms in China and Japan, Behrendt thinks it’s just a matter of time before child sex dolls are given artificial intelligence and the ability to talk and move.

---