James David Ryan Sharp has been jailed for three years for possessing a child-like sex doll

The first person in Australia arrested for importing a child-like sex doll will only have to serve half of his jail term behind bars.

The first person arrested in Australia for possessing a child-like sex doll has been jailed for three years.

James David Ryan Sharp, 32, became the first person in the nation to be charged with importing a child-like sex doll when he was arrested in January 2020.

He was arrested at his home in a small country town near the South Australia and Victorian border where police discovered 9021 images and 128 videos of child exploitation material.

They also found a disturbing collection of non-explicit photos of local children from his area.

Sharp is the first person to be sentenced in South Australia for importing a child-like sex doll – although Auxiliary District Court Judge Gordon Barrett did not specify the proportion of his total sentence was for the charge of possessing the sex doll.

On Friday, Judge Barrett sentenced Sharp to three years in prison, but ordered he be released on a recognisance order after serving 18 months.

Judge Barrett said the material was far from a victimless crime

“Every film, every image, every disk depicts a child being abused.” he said.

“Every one of the children depicted in the materials which you possessed was abused and your being in possession of them and taking access to them provides the market for the abuse

of children.”

James David Ryan Sharp outside the Mount Gambier courthouse. Picture: Jessica Ball

Described as an “unremarkable” man crippled by shyness, Sharp was subject to death threats and was forced to move from the country town near Naracoorte he called home.

He pleaded guilty to five charges relating to the importation of the doll and the child exploitation material.

Commonwealth prosecutor Alice Bitmead told the court that among the voluminous collection of child exploitation material were “hyper-realistic digital images” of abuse against children as young as three.

“A large proportion of the material depicts female children being physically restrained with rope, collars, chains, blindfolds and duct tape while being sexually abused,” Judge Barrett said.

“This material is at the higher end of seriousness for offending of this type.”

A child-like sex doll seized in a separate investigation. Picture: Australian Border Force

Nick Healy, for Sharp, told the court during sentencing submissions his client had accepted that he was going to be sent to prison for his crimes.

“My client suffers from social anxiety disorder which is shown through extreme shyness and difficulty articulating his thoughts,” he said.

Mr Healy said Sharp had an “unremarkable” childhood and still had the support of his family who hoped he would get treatment.

Auxiliary Judge Gordon Barrett heard Sharp told a psychologist he had thought he ordered an adult-size sex doll, but when the child model came he decided to try and buy clothes for it.

James David Ryan Sharp was arrested by Australian Federal Police at his home.