Chinese authorities and major e-commerce platforms are investigating the sale of sex dolls designed to resemble children after a domestic media investigation found dozens of such products on online marketplaces. 

In an undercover investigation published Wednesday, Shanghai-based media outlet The Paper revealed online listings often used terms such as “child-faced,” “Lolita,” and “young girl” to market the dolls, triggering widespread public outcry and renewed calls for regulation. 

The exposé follows a November report by France’s consumer watchdog, which found sex dolls designed to resemble children being sold online by global fast-fashion retailer Shein. The report drew attention from Chinese netizens, who then flagged similar listings on Chinese platforms, prompting The Paper to investigate.

The Paper found that the dolls range from 40 to 170 centimeters in height, typically featuring children’s faces but with adult bodies. They are normally made from silicone, resin, or other plastics and rubbers, and many include added functions such as heating and suction. Prices run from 230 to 3,700 yuan ($30-$520).

While online listings for the dolls have now been taken down, earlier comments included ratings such as “very comfortable to use” and “very realistic.” 

The Paper also investigated multiple factories involved in producing sex dolls in the southern Guangdong province. One has been operating for more than a decade and claims it ships to 96 countries and regions.

A worker at one factory said products could be labeled as “exercise equipment” to avoid scrutiny. A worker from another factory said shipments also omit any identifying information about the factory.

A product list from a manufacturer in Guangdong’s Huizhou City also included pregnant dolls, with some models labeled with descriptions such as “170-cm fat woman.”

As of Friday, the topic has drawn more than 1 billion views on microblogging platform Weibo, with many users calling for stricter regulation of sex dolls.

Sun Xuejie, a lawyer with Hou Qi Law Firm in eastern Zhejiang province, told Sixth Tone that manufacturing and selling sex dolls designed to resemble children can constitute the offense of producing and trafficking obscene materials for profit and also violates the Law on the Protection of Minors.

“Because you are linking minors with pornography, first, this may increase the likelihood of minors themselves committing related crimes. Secondly, it easily increases the risk of them being harmed by such crimes,” she said.

On Wednesday, e-commerce platforms including Taobao, Pinduoduo, and JD.com, as well as Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok and Xiaohongshu, or RedNote, said they had launched investigations into the buying and selling of childlike sex dolls on their platforms. A review by Sixth Tone on Thursday found the products largely absent from searches for “child-like face dolls,” though some listings remained on JD.com.

Authorities in several cities have also launched investigations into companies linked to the manufacture of sex dolls. The Huizhou factory has since halted production. In response to media reports about the local production of sex dolls resembling children, Guangdong’s Dongguan city also established an investigative team, and has now confiscated the products.

Sun told Sixth Tone that for sex toys made to resemble children, “the legal definition (of whether an adult product involves minors), forensic standards, and sentencing guidelines remain unclear.” 

She said she expects the Supreme People’s Court to clarify the legality and potential criminal charges related to producing, distributing, and purchasing sex dolls.

Editor: Marianne Gunnarsson.

(Header image: From The Paper)