about 15,000 former inmates reenter Kentucky society annually, said Kerry Harvey, an advisor to the governor. (Getty Images)

A new Kentucky law that makes it a felony to own a child sex doll could strengthen cases against predators, a local prosecutor says.???

Rob Sanders, the commonwealth’s attorney for Kenton County, said in a Monday press conference the law might have changed the outcome of a court case involving the shipment of child sex dolls into the county. Sanders said his office was prosecuting lawsuits against three individuals, all who had “child sexual assault materials” on electronic devices, but one case was dismissed because of a suppression motion.?

Sanders said defense attorneys argued that “it was not illegal to have a child-sized sex doll.”?

“We shouldn’t have to litigate this hard to prove to a court that we know that someone that has a child-sized sex doll will also be preying upon children, will also have child pornography in their possession,” Sanders said. “We know it’s there. We just have to legally be able to go get it.”?

Sanders joined Republican Attorney General Russell Coleman and Northern Kentucky GOP lawmakers who sponsored the legislation earlier this year at the Kenton County Courthouse to discuss how the new law and other recent initiatives give law enforcement officers across the state tools to counter child exploitation.?

Rep. Stephanie Dietz, of Edgewood, had previously introduced a version of this year’s House Bill 207 but it was not successful in 2023. Sanders said he reached out to her after working on the cases in his office.?

The legislation was revised during the interim session. The bill gained bipartisan support in the General Assembly and was ultimately signed into law by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. Coleman advocated for the bill during the legislative session.?

The law makes it a Class D felony to knowingly own or sell a child sex doll, which is defined as? a doll, mannequin or robot that is intended for sexual stimulation or gratification and that has the features of, or has features that resemble those of, a minor. It also criminalizes using artificial intelligence to create child pornography.?

Sanders said “??it’s really given us the tools we need” at the local level to counter exploitation of children.?

Dietz said she felt that she and her colleagues had made a difference after learning that a Metcalfe County man had been charged with possession of a child sex doll last month.?

“There is nothing more important than protecting our kids,” Dietz said. “And I know that this is a tool in the toolbox for our law enforcement, those on the front lines and for our prosecutors.”?

Coleman, who was elected as Kentucky’s attorney general in November, said his office has introduced other recent initiatives to counter child exploitation across the commonwealth, including adding a K9 officer to the Department of Criminal Investigations to detect electronic devices that could contain child sex abuse material and creating a deputy commissioner position to counter child exploitation.?

Coleman told reporters that while they were discussing “a dark topic,” leaders like Dietz and Sanders are taking steps to prevent child exploitation. He also encouraged parents and guardians to engage their kids in conversation about dangers online. Coleman highlighted resources published by his office and by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.?

“I cannot emphasize enough the need to be diligent,” Coleman said. “It’s impossible to stay looking over your kids shoulders at any time. It’s a real challenge.”