A NUCLEAR energy expert who smuggled a child-like 'paedophile' sex doll into Britain has been jailed in the first case of its type in the UK.

Dad-of-one Andrew Dobson, 49, bought the $200 (£157) sex doll - which resembled a girl as young as four - from a sex toy firm based in Hong Kong.

5 Andrew Dobson was jailed for two years and eight months Credit: Cavendish Press

But the package was intercepted by Border Force officials at East Midlands Airport and Dobson was later charged with importation of an obscene item.

When police raided his £300,000 home in Wistaston, Cheshire, they also found 26 pornographic images and videos on his computer of children being abused.

He was jailed for two years and eight months after pleading guilty to the important charge along with further charges of making and possessing indecent images.

5 The doll was intercepted at by UK Border Force officers Credit: Cavendish Press

5 Dobson was jailed at Chester Crown Court Credit: Cavendish Press

Sentencing, Judge Simon Berkson said: "I had the doll shown to me and it is disgusting to think that this type of item exists and can be bought and imported all over the world.

"This was no mistake or misguided act on your part, it was meant for your perverted sexual desire towards children.

"This sexual desire was confirmed for the police when they made a search of your property and searched on the computerised equipment and found indecent still images of children and moving images.

"In the movies, one of which was 12 minutes long was the worst type of abuse that can happen on a child.

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"I am told that for the importation charge this is the first sentence for the offence in England and Wales."

Prosecuting Peter Hussey said: "The package was sent by air from Hong Kong and it was the defendant who ordered it, and UK Border Force who intercepted it.

"There has been an ongoing operating targeting this type of package being imported into this country. The package was opened and contained a childlike sex doll which has been sent from a company run in Japan and which operates out of Hong Kong.

"There was an invoice and an advert for the doll. There is also documentation of the eBay account and the advert. The advert shows a young child posing in a sexual way."

5 The doll was intercepted as it was flown in to East Midlands Airport Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

The female doll was 105 cm in height, and a doctor gave it an age between 3 years and 8 months to 6 years and 2 months. The court heard the sender of the package had tried to hide what is was.

Defending, Dobson's lawyer Simon Parry said the doll was 'child size and not child like' but added: "He is ultimately ashamed of the situation he has got himself into and he is motivated to explore this offending behaviour and put it behind him.

"This is somebody who has had a sexual difficulty that needs to be addressed and nipping in the bud."

5 The case - heard at Chester Crown Court - is the first of its kind in the UK Credit: Alamy

Dobson was also ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register for life.

Border Force's Julian Doughty, senior manager at the Fast Parcel Joint Border Intelligence Unit, said: "The importation of dolls like this is a new phenomena and Dobson is one of the first people sentenced in the UK in relation to such an item. Working closely with law enforcement partners, Border Force is determined to bring those involved in this type of offence to justice."

Last year authorities in Australia seized 18 shipments of child-sized sex dolls.

A Japanese firm which produces more than 100 different types of child sex dolls claim they can be used to ''help paedophiles control their sexual urges'' and therefore prevent crime.