Brent Hazelton has jail time cut after importing child sex doll

A young man paid $200 for half of a child sex doll on “Chinese Amazon” and made a number of inquiries when it didn’t arrive.

A young Albion Park man who tried to import a child like sex doll on the “Chinese Amazon” and later told police he had a sexual attraction to young girls has escaped jail time after appealing his sentence.

Brent Hazelton, 23, walked free from Wollongong Court on Friday, after Judge Andrew Haesler overturned a four-month non-parole period handed down by Magistrate McGowan earlier this year, finding he had taken positive steps to address his “serious” issues.

“This is a young, vulnerable person who has sought to do everything he can to restore himself to the community,” he said.

Brent Hazelton leaves Wollongong Court after having his prison sentence scrapped.

He was initially sentenced to 12 months in jail with Magistrate McGowan ordering he be released after four months on a $1000 recognisance order, after pleading guilty to importing a child-like sex doll and importing child abuse material. However, Judge Haesler decided Hazelton not serve any time in prison and be of good behaviour for three years after paying his self recognisance.

Hazelton was arrested at his home on March 4, 2020, after he admitted to ordering the lower half of the doll on website AliExpress for around $200.

Documents tendered to the court revealed on November 20, 2019, Hazelton purchased the doll, which was described on the website as “leg model half body sexy doll … for men real dolls sex shop”.

Brent Hazelton was arrested and charged following an investigation into the importation of a childlike sex doll. Picture: Australian Border Force

The image of the item displayed the lower half of a childlike sex doll, with white frilled socks on the feet, a black G-string half way down the doll’s legs, and the anal and vaginal cavities censored.

On multiple occasions, court documents state Hazelton made separate inquiries regarding the status of the consignment, asking about its whereabouts.

Hazelton was stopped by Australian Border Force officers at Sydney Airport on February 22 after arriving back in Australia from an overseas holiday in South Korea.

He was selected for baggage examination by ABF officers and presented his Samsung Galaxy phone, where officers found a secure folder containing 34 images of children engaged in sexualised posing and three virtually animated videos depicting children engaging in sexual poses or activity.

Border force officers searching Brent Hazelton’s car. Picture: Australian Border Force. 

He told ABF officers he bought the sex doll as it was the cheapest one available and “didn’t think for a second it would be considered childlike”.

When asked what he thought the age of the doll was, he told officers he believed it resembled an 18-year-old, and that he did not have an attraction to children. However, he changed his mind about the age when he was arrested on March 4, telling police: “I don’t think it’s 18 anymore, I just said that because I didn’t want to get arrested basically … I do think it’s younger … probably about 12 is what I think”.

He also admitted to looking at sexual material of children as young as eight at least once a week.

On Friday, his defence barrister told the court Hazelton had engaged in rehabilitation and demonstrated insight into his offending and issues. She argued that spending four months in custody would be of detriment to his treatment and mental health.

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