An East Coast man faces charges after a child sex doll was discovered by border agents examining an international courier shipment arriving by air in Hamilton.
The RCMP allege the child sex doll – seized by the Canada Border Services Agency on Oct. 8 – originated in Japan and was addressed to an importer residing in Digby, Nova Scotia.
“Working with CBSA intelligence officers in Halifax, the seizure was referred to the Nova Scotia RCMP ICE Unit for further investigation,” the RCMP said in a statement released Tuesday.
RCMP officers subsequently executed a search warrant on Oct. 17 at a residence in Digby where they allegedly seized more child sex dolls and “other evidence supporting both child pornography and smuggling charges.”
Joseph Ryan Jolicoeur was arrested at the residence.
He is charged with possession of child pornography and importation of child pornography under the Criminal Code as well as smuggling child pornography into Canada under the Customs Act.
Jolicoeur was released on conditions and is next scheduled to appear in Digby Provincial Court on Jan. 6, 2025.
“Child pornography is most commonly known and understood as sexual images or videos of children,” RCMP Const. Mandy Edwards, of the Provincial ICE Unit, said in the statement. “However, child pornography can also be written, or in audio forms, or as in this case, a visual representation such as a child sex doll. Child pornography in all its forms is considered harmful and is prohibited by the Criminal Code.”
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The RCMP and CBSA encourage citizens to be a voice for children who are victims of sexual exploitation by reporting any suspected offences to your police or using Canada’s national tip line for reporting online sexual exploitation of children at www.cybertip.ca.
“In Nova Scotia, it is mandatory for citizens to report suspected child pornography,” the RCMP said. “Failing to report suspicious activity and materials could result in criminal penalties similar to failing to report child abuse set out in the Child and Family Services Act.”
Suspicious cross-border activity, including smuggling, can be reported to the CBSA Border Watch Line toll-free at 1-888-502-9060.