Sex Toys News

The owner of an adult entertainment venue billed as Hong Kong's first sex doll brothel has shut up shop after being arrested.

It came two days after the Post visited the venue, This Mary , in an industrial building in Kwun Tong.

The police said that the owner was arrested after an anti-obscene objects operation at a flat in the Hoi Luen Industrial Centre at about 6pm on Friday. Three television sets, 18 suspected indecent objects and three memory sticks were seized.

The owner was released on bail and must report back next month.

This Mary charges an hourly rate of HK$480 for clients to use one of three silicone sex dolls on the premises. Male clients can bring a female companion for a 90-minute session with a doll for HK$860. The items are also for sale for between HK$18,000 (US$2,300) and HK$30,000 (US$3,800).

Sainsbury's has just expanded their own-brand range to include a few affordable sex toys for women. The range is priced between £8-12. We don't know about you, but at that price we'd definitely toss them in our trolley.

The new line of sex toys includes three vibrators. There's a couple of bullets and a bigger silver vibrator that run at different speeds.

They're being sold at most stores at the moment, with an eye to have the bullets across all 486 UK stores by November 4.

And in the US, we've reached a point where mainstream retailers feel completely comfortable stocking quality vibrators, not just in their digital warehouses but on the shelves of their brick-and-mortar stores. Just this month, PlusOne, a new line of premium sex toys, debuted at Walmart stores around the country, marking the first time that the retailer has carried high quality, rechargeable vibrators on the shelves of its brick-and-mortar stores.

PlusOne offers customers an entirely different option. A dedicated pleasure brand, it makes no bones about the purpose of its products -- yet its design is far classier than, say, that suction cup dildo on Walmart's website. And with waterproof silicone exteriors and rechargeable batteries, it's a step up in quality from the Trojan products currently stocked in store, all while been sold at a significantly lower price point than either the Trojan products or the more luxe offerings available at a store like Babeland. PlusOne's rechargeable bullet offering retails for less than $10; in contrast, a battery-powered Trojan bullet vibrator for a little over $30, and the NYTC rechargeable bullet vibe is available at Babeland for just shy of $25.

 Sweden is looking into introducing safety standards for sex toys after a study revealed a growing number of Swedes were forced to seek medical help after the items got lodged in their rectums.

In one Stockholm hospital alone, 73 people over a seven-year period sought emergency medical care for foreign objects stuck in the rectum.

The most commonly lodged objects were dildos and butt plugs, which the study by a southern Stockholm hospital found were present in just over 40% of cases. In the remainder, a variety of other objects, including candles, bottles and vegetables were found, though the report noted that the incidents leading to the accidents were almost always linked to sexual pleasure.

What's more, the authors noted that the true figure of sex toy retention was likely even higher than the study suggests, given reluctance to seek care for a potentially embarrassing condition. They also suggested that a safety string or adequate-sized stopper could have prevented many of the affected patients from retaining the items.

The SIS' proposal for sex toy standards will be submitted to the International Organization for Standardization in the hope that it will be adopted by other countries.

A traveller to the distinctly unfriendly Texas town of Crockett (which bills itself as The Cleanest, Friendliest City in Texas) fell victim to an unfriendly ban on sex toys.

For some reason the guy was targeted by county police, who asked if they could search his hotel room. The man, apparently being under the impression that he'd committed no crime, consented to the search.

They found a laptop bag containing 11 sex toys -- so they promptly busted him under Texas' Obscene Device Law which states, A person who possesses six or more obscene devices or identical or similar obscene articles is presumed to possess them with intent to promote the same.

Now, many people are under the impression that the legality of sex toys in Texas was settled back in February of 2008, when a US appeals court ruled that a ban on sex toys was unconstitutional. However, the promotion of obscene devices would remain illegal in 20 counties.

So while Alabama is now the only state with an official prohibition on selling or possessing sex toys, those planning to travel to Texas with their dildos or strokers might want to limit the selection they bring.

The Biennial of International Performance Art and Noise took place in Croydon recently with an array of bizarre sex toys and avant-garde performers. The festival programme explained:

Always sculptural and gracefully schizophrenic, each sex toy will embrace a different mood, from poignant to playful. The actions and objects are designed to enrapture rather than repel, in an effort to demystify the anus.

One performance, by Arianna Ferrari, saw the artist taking laxatives and lying down on stage. She then urinated and defecated uncontrollably in a display supposedly meant to allow the body to manifest itself. During the display, she had a microphone attached to her belly so the sound of her bowel movements could be blared out.

Another performance by Joseph Ravens - who once appeared on TV's America's Got Talent - involved multiple butt plugs.

Arts Council England, which is funded by the lottery, paid out £38,000 to support the event . And Croydon Council added another £10,000 in funding for the festival.

James Price of the Taxpayers' Alliance whinged to The Sun:

Croydon council, like councils across the country, have raised council tax year on year, and now we can see where some of that money is going.

Turin authorities closed a new sex doll brothel after just nine days citing hygiene concerns and other offences. All eight of the dolls have been seized for forensic examination by the authorities.

Until its sudden closure on Wednesday, LumiDolls in Torino, northwestern Italy charged clients Euro 80 ($90) for 30 minutes of alone time with the hyper realistic dolls which cost roughly 2,000 euro each..

Authorities are concerned over hygiene at the establishment and also insufficient information on the materials the dolls were made from and their country of manufacture. The brothel owners claim that they clean the dolls for two hours once a client has finished with them.

Police are also fishing around for other offences, whether the brothel breached Italian laws on renting out accommodation and alleged but unspecified illegal activity.

LumiDolls franchise began in Spain and boasts sex doll brothels in Barcelona and Moscow.

The City of Toronto has closed what claimed to be North America's first known sex doll brothel a week before it was set to open.

Aura Dolls planned to open September 8 with a choice of six silicone sex dolls for rent 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

But the plan was thwarted by the miserable councillor John Filion who dragged up an old bylaw he introduced two decades ago that restricts adult entertainment parlours in North York to industrial areas. City officials then deemed Aura Dolls to be illegal.

A business selling sex dolls has been fined over its try before you buy scheme. Lovedoll UK, was allowing potential customers a first hand experience of their product using a bedroom on its premises. The dolls cost up to £2,000 and the try before you buy option is £50.

The company's owner was fined £10,000 at Gateshead Magistrates' Court. A massive fine for a victimless crime that is many times more than for some violent crimes that have hit the headlines this week

Gateshead Council workers visited the company's premises after claims that it was a sex doll brothel. They claimed that such a use would require a sex establishment licence, which had neither been sought nor granted.

Brits are being warned they could be breaking the law by bringing them to certain countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and the Maldives. The Sun look at the countries around the world where sex toys are banned

Pornography is a banned item in the Maldives -- and sex toys come under that bracket. The Daily Star reports that local man Musthafa Hussein was jailed for six months for possessing sex toys there.

Malaysia Don't pack your vibrator as it counts as an obscene object. The country's penal code states that the possession of any obscene objects whatsoever can be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.

Saudi Arabia is another country where sex toys aren't allowed. Sex toys come under the category of pornographic material, which is banned there. Even massagers which are present in an immoral way are banned by customs.

Dubai, one of the United Arab Emirates is a holiday favourite with Brits - but don't try taking any sex toys there.

Thailand is another country where you can get in trouble by trying to bring sex toys in. Sex toys count as obscene objects which are banned by the Thai authorities and are on the country's list of prohibited goods. But fear not there are plenty examples of the banned products on sale in Thailand's street markets.

Massagers aren't banned in India - unless they have a phallic shape.

You will have sex toys confiscated if you try to bring them into Vietnam . However according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs: The objects will be kept and returned to the passengers when they exit Vietnam.

Paris councillors are due to decide on the future of a business where clients are charged 89 euro to spend an hour with a silicon sex doll.

Communist councillors and feminist groups have been calling for the closure of Xdolls. Currently, Xdolls is registered as a games centre, but opponents argue it is effectively a brothel. (brothels are illegal in France)

Xdolls is located in an anonymous-looking flat in the French capital and opened last month near the Miromesnil Metro station.

Customers make their booking and payment online, and the exact address is kept secret. Not even the neighbours are aware of the nature of the business.

But its critics want to see it shut. Nicolas Bonnet Oulaldj, a communist councillor, is taking the matter before the Council of Paris. He claimed

Xdolls conveys a degrading image of the woman.

Lorraine Questiaux, lawyer and spokesperson for a Paris feminist association bizarrely claimed:

Xdolls is not a sex shop. It's a place that generates money and where you rape a woman.

Update: Brothel claim found to be unrealistic

22nd March 2018. See article from bbc.com

Paris councillors have rejected a motion targeting a business where clients pay to spend an hour with a realistic silicone sex doll.

Communist councillors and feminist groups had called on the Council of Paris - the body responsible for governing the city - to study the possibilities of closing Xdolls. They claimed it was demeaning to women - and effectively a brothel.

But police visited the establishment before the council meeting and declared no laws were being broken.

New York's Museum of Sex is offering free rides on its Cowgirl sex machine.

Like something out of the Barbarella universe, the Cowgirl is perhaps a distant cousin of the mechanical bull. Sizable yet sleek, the Cowgirl consists primarily of a vibrating saddle equipped with two possible silicone attachments. MoSex understandably opted for the Rawhide version, which has a small silicone nub. The dildo option is a little ndiscreet for public pleasures. And just to confirm, the sex machine trial is strictly 'over the clothes'. But just in case, the ride is regularly wiped down with string cleaners.

The woman riding the Cowgirl with abandon at 3:30 p.m. on a Friday was certainly making a strong case for the efficacy of the silicone nub. As she messed with the toy's remote control, I could hear the whirr of vibrations intensifying, an escalation mirrored by her moans. Just when I thought I was about to witness a stranger climaxing in a damn museum, she dismounted, muttered that was intense, and promptly shuffled to another room.

MoSex encourages visitors to not only feel objects like its current sex machine offering but to ride them, too. Smack dab in the middle of a gallery space, the Cowgirl enthusiasts break down the boundaries that separate art and toys, exhibitionists and voyeurs, engaging in public acts that they might never have otherwise.

Along with displaying two Cowgirl machines, the compact MoSex exhibit provides a cursory look at the history of sex toys, starting with the 18th century invention of vibrators as medical devices meant to combat female hysteria. Dildos, MoSex points out, date back to ancient Greece, where enlightened men, such as 2nd century astronomer Galen, believed that female semen built up in single women's blood over time, poisoning it.

Ladyboy sex dolls with boobs and functioning penises are proving a bit of a hit.

Sex dolls have been one of the most popular intimate crazes of the past year. In the race to create the best dolls on the market, manufacturers have come up with an even racier model.

This has seen the release to transgender dolls, which allow customers to enjoy both female and male body parts.

Daily Star Online spoke to Alex Phelps, a product specialist at Silcone Sex World , to find out more. He explained:

We are seeing a lot of our customers going for our transgender dolls. The dolls essentially have an insert which then allows the doll to function as a male, if you will.

Previously, we revealed that blokes are more likely to purchase the trans dolls. It's believed that male customers are snapping up the kinky items so they can be more experimental in the bedroom.

Aarhus has become the first city in Denmark to gain a sex doll brothel.

Doll House, which opened last week, offers services solely to male clients. The establishment is made up of five themed rooms that cater to a range of alternative tastes and preferences. These include a: classroom, living room and doctor's room.

Customers can choose from five different sex dolls, each with different names and aesthetic characteristics. The dolls are all made of thermoplastic rubber and stainless steel, weighing roughly 50 kilos. The venue's marketing tag line is:

The place where all gentleman are welcome and where girls don't say 'no'.

Sex doll brothels are becoming a bit of a trend, Aarhus is the fourth major city in Europe to open a sex doll brothel following Barcelona, Paris and Dortmund.

Realbotix, a California-based sex tech firm, is in the process of developing an advanced manbot that can offer companionship to lonely women around the world.

Designed to give women pleasure with bionic penises better than vibrators, hunky male androids will cost between £8,000 ($11,000) and £12,000 ($15,000) when they go on sale.

Creator Matt McMullen, founder and CEO of Realbotix, told Daily Star Online he is aiming to release the male version of his trailblazing female Harmony sex robot in 2018 .

Users will be able to operate the male robotic head through an app, whose machine learning technology will develop dominant personality traits.

Dr Cathy O'Neil, a Harvard University mathematician, has claimed that sex robots could rending men obsolete. In an interview with Bloomberg, she claimed it is "entirely possible" that women could choose "dashing menbots" instead of human males.

Kenya's film censorship board says it will not allow advertising of popular sex doll Samantha in media outlets.

KFCB boss Ezekiel Mutua likened the use of sex dolls to necrophilia. He said that the even though KFCB does not have mandate over importation of sex toys, it would not allow anybody to advertise the product. He spouted:

Anybody who dares to advertise those things will have KFCB to reckon with. Our mandate is on what Kenyans consume and advertising such things is immoral and wrong.

You cannot promote sex with a robot as a way of life. We must protect our children from such things. In my view there is no difference between having sex with Samantha and having sex with a corpse.

The UK's first sex doll 'brothel' has closed down before it had really started.

The 'brothel' was serviced by a single doll, Faith, which was rented out for £60 by Stephen Crawford. He ran the operation from his semi-detached home in a small village near Hamilton.

Steven Crawford hit the headlines when the Sunday Mail revealed he was offering romps with a lifelike latex model called Faith -- for £60 an hour. However it was early days for the business which had received just two customers.

Following publicity from media coverage, he removed the online ad for the rubber doll to avoid the risk of upsetting his neighbours.

South Lanarkshire Council said that it will be investigating to ensure public health is protected. Shirley Clelland, Head of Environmental Services at the council, said:

Environmental Services recognises that there are potential public health issues associated with this type of business and will be undertaking further investigation to determine what arrangements are in place to protect public health.

Crawford is now thought to be considering renting out the sex doll rather than let people pay for time with it in his home.

Two minutes' walk from Prague's Old Town Square, down a cobbled alleyway, situated opposite a high-end shop selling porcelain and jewellery, is the world's one and only Sex Machines Museum .

As its name pithily suggests, this Czech Republic attraction is dedicated to the mechanics of rumpy pumpy from porcelain dildos to saucy walking sticks and a steam pump vibrator.

Exhibits range in size, from the huge (BDSM sex racks and a replica of Edward VII's 'love chair') to the tiny, a quite beautiful gallery of genital jewelry.

The museum opened in 2002 and immediately courted controversy.  The then mayor of Prague attempted to close it following complaints from parents who felt the museum's window display -- involving ropes, leather, pulleys and a nun in fetish gear -- was immoral. Fortunately, the museum weathered the adversity.

Some visitors to the Sex Machines Museum have criticised it for not being interactive enough as all the exhibits are displayed behind glass, or with strict instructions not to touch. But the 2015 revamp saw the installment of a small but perfectly formed in-house cinema, and it's well worth a visit.  If you can find a seat in the small screening room, you'll be treated to some of the best Spanish pornos from the 1920s. Purportedly shot for the pleasure of King Alphons XIII, the performers are said to be a mix of the director's friends and street prostitutes.

See the full article from metro.co.uk

Lovedoll UK, a major retailer of life-like sex dolls, has launched a try before you buy service in a warehouse on an industrial park in Gateshead, Tyneside.

Customers can try out realistic sex dolls worth up to £2,000 at the company's warehouse, in sessions costing £100-an-hour.

Lovedoll UK owner Graham admitted that the try before you buy service is a precursor to a sex doll brothel akin to the Lumidolls venue in Barcelona, Spain.

We're offering the service to bring in more customers and convince those customers who are on the fence [about buying a sex doll], he said.

Lovedoll UK has already faced resistance from call girls working in Gateshead, in Tyne and Wear. Graham said sex workers are afraid his company will steal their jobs. He said:

I have spoken to escort services before about bringing sex dolls into brothels -- but they are scared. I don't know why they are, it may just require more of a vision than they have.

Graham allows clients to take his sex dolls into a room containing a double bed, lube and condoms for testing and inspection. Customers using the service must provide their contact details and pay in advance.

Update: Inevitably the miserable local council claims you can't play with a doll without a licence

24th January 2018. See  article from bbc.com

A business selling adult sex dolls is being investigated over rmiserable concerns it could be operating without council permission.

Gateshead Council said it was investigating whether a sex establishment licence is required.

Such a licence covers premises selling sex videos, or venues where explicit films are shown to members of the public, and those where sexual entertainment such as pole dancing and strip shows take place. Shops selling sex toys have not generally been required to get licences, though occasionally councils have tried to claim that licences were required.

Gateshead Council said:

We are currently trying to establish the facts so that all of the relevant services and agencies can be involved and an informed decision can be made about what action, if any, the council can take.

Bangkok police have taken legal action against a film company for putting up a stall selling sex toys for filming purposes on Khao San Road.

The film makers had been given permission for the shooting of the Indian film Happy Bhag Jayegi Return on Khao San Road. According to the Bangkok Post the station gave permission because the company promised that the film-making would promote Thailand with a positive image.

From 9.30am to 11.30am on Wednesday the crew had women wear swimsuits and placed stalls of swimsuits and adult toy signs on the road. After being reported, local police halted the film-making.

Police charged the crew and the film producer with causing public embarrassment and untidiness, blocking a road, and showing pornographic materials.

The police quoted actresses as saying that the scene was supposed to take place in China, with no mentioning of Khao San Road.

Happy Bhag Jayegi Return (2018) is a sequel to the comic-caper of the same title made in 2011. Indian actresses Sonakshi Sinha and Diana Penty star in it.

Life-size pillows of the K-Pop group GFriend have caused 'concern' in South Korea. Goods that are tribute to K-pop girl band GFriend have angered fans because the objects can apparently be used as sex toys.

The life-size bolster pillows, 180 centimetres long and 60 centimetres wide with a full body image of each member colour-printed on top, are the target of a little ludicrous outrage.

A few people whinged that the goods for encouraging fans to hug the objects and perhaps do more than just hugging them.

They claim that the objects reminded them of Japanese dakimakura pillows which are adorned with life size sexy characters from manga or anime.

A few fans on the band's social network site said that they would boycott the band's merchendise. The boycott movement carries the hashtag #GFRIEND_goods_not buying.

Source Music said online it had decided to withdraw the products from sale.

Apparently merchandise has become a new barometer of popularity among K-pop fans and that sales are best not disrupted by anything controversial.