The mayor of Houston has said he is looking at ways to stop a "sex robot brothel" expected to open in the city next month.

Sylvester Turner said the brothel was “not the sort of business that we advertise for, or we seek to attract” after the company KinkySdollS announced it would be opening a second location in Houston in early October. The company has already opened its premiere “love dolls brothel” in Toronto, Canada, which features sex robots designed to interact with clientele.

The brothel was not considered “the sort of business that I want in the city of Houston,” the mayor said, adding that he was looking into existing ordinances that could potentially regulate or prohibit the company.

“Just like with other sexual-oriented businesses, you can't be close to daycares, schools, churches, synagogues, things of that nature,” the mayor told KHOU-TV.

His comments arrived as a Change.org petition titled “Keep Robot Brothels Out of Houston” gained over 8,000 signatures, calling for city officials and others to stop KinkySdollS from opening a location in Houston.

“Robot brothels will ultimately harm men, their understanding of healthy sexuality, and increase the demand for the prostitution and sexual exploitation of women and children,” the petition read. “If an artificial substitute reduced the need to buy sex, there would be a reduction in prostitution but no such correlation is found.”

Inside the Realbotix sex robots factory Show all 10 1 /10 Inside the Realbotix sex robots factory Inside the Realbotix sex robots factory Harmony and creator Matt McMullen Rex Features Inside the Realbotix sex robots factory Mandatory Credit: Photo by Eduardo Contreras/San Diego Union-Tribune via ZUMA/REX (9058289o) This is the doll, whose name is Harmony, that has a robotic head. You can interact with the doll through an app. It is made by Realbotix, a company based in San Marcos, California. Real Doll Factory, San Marcos, USA - 12 Sep 2017 Rex Features Inside the Realbotix sex robots factory Mandatory Credit: Photo by Eduardo Contreras/San Diego Union-Tribune via ZUMA/REX (9058289l) These are some of the Real Doll bodies made by Abyss Creations being assembled in the factory on Tuesday in San Marcos, California. Real Doll Factory, San Marcos, USA - 12 Sep 2017 Rex Features Inside the Realbotix sex robots factory Mandatory Credit: Photo by Eduardo Contreras/San Diego Union-Tribune via ZUMA/REX (9058289j) These are some of the Real Doll heads made by Abyss Creations on display on Tuesday in San Marcos, California. Real Doll Factory, San Marcos, USA - 12 Sep 2017 Rex Features Inside the Realbotix sex robots factory Mandatory Credit: Photo by Eduardo Contreras/San Diego Union-Tribune via ZUMA/REX (9058289h) These are some of the Real Doll faces made by Abyss Creations being assembled in the factory on Tuesday in San Marcos, California. Real Doll Factory, San Marcos, USA - 12 Sep 2017 Rex Features Inside the Realbotix sex robots factory Mandatory Credit: Photo by Eduardo Contreras/San Diego Union-Tribune via ZUMA/REX (9058289f) This is the substructure of a face for a Real Doll in the factory at Abyss Creations on Tuesday in San Marcos, California. Faces are held on by magnets and can be changed. Real Doll Factory, San Marcos, USA - 12 Sep 2017 Rex Features Inside the Realbotix sex robots factory Mandatory Credit: Photo by Eduardo Contreras/San Diego Union-Tribune via ZUMA/REX (9058289e) These are molds used to make Real Doll bodies at the Abyss Creations factory on Tuesday in San Marcos, California. Real Doll Factory, San Marcos, USA - 12 Sep 2017 Rex Features Inside the Realbotix sex robots factory Mandatory Credit: Photo by Eduardo Contreras/San Diego Union-Tribune via ZUMA/REX (9058289d) These are molds used to make Real Doll bodies at the Abyss Creations factory on Tuesday in San Marcos, California. Real Doll Factory, San Marcos, USA - 12 Sep 2017 Rex Features Inside the Realbotix sex robots factory Mandatory Credit: Photo by Eduardo Contreras/San Diego Union-Tribune via ZUMA/REX (9058289c) These are pigments for the different skin tones of a Real Doll in the factory at Abyss Creations on Tuesday in San Marcos, California. Real Doll Factory, San Marcos, USA - 12 Sep 2017 Rex Features Inside the Realbotix sex robots factory Mandatory Credit: Photo by Eduardo Contreras/San Diego Union-Tribune via ZUMA/REX (9058289b) These are some of the Real Doll faces made by Abyss Creations being assembled in the factory on Tuesday in San Marcos, California. Real Doll Factory, San Marcos, USA - 12 Sep 2017 Rex Features

The rumoured opening has drawn nationwide media attention, becoming the topic of conversation on nationwide talkshow The View this week and drawing outcry from Texas conservatives.

However, the company behind the supposed brothel stands by its business, which provides rental dolls for customers that can be purchased and brought to private rooms for up to two hours at its Toronto location.

The dolls, available for purchase with prices starting at $2,500, are able to touch and provide vocal responses to the company’s clients. Several artificial models are also available, which can hold conversations with customers, but are not available for rental purposes.

Still, Mr Turner has remained adamant that the city should seriously consider the brothel’s impact on its residents.

“I am not trying to be the moral police officer, but we do need to be very mindful of what comes into our city and what our children and others may be exposed to,” he said.