A Canberra jury has been unable to reach a verdict in the trial of a man accused of trying to import a child sex doll.
Jeffrey Scott Deacon, 28, was charged after the doll was intercepted by the Australian Border Force.
Mr Deacon had been on trial in the ACT Supreme Court this week over his alleged attempt to import the child doll.
Today the jury in the case told Supreme Court Justice David Mossop that they had been unable to reach a verdict.
Dispute over type of doll accused thought he bought
Mr Deacon purchased the doll for $428 in September last year from a website in China dubbed 'little sex dolls'.
His order was intercepted by Border Force officers, who later arrested the 28-year-old.
In court today, Prosecutor Ken Archer argued that internet searches for a 'teen doll' and several emails were evidence Mr Deacon was searching for a doll that represented someone under 18.
He told the jury the doll, which was shown to the court, clearly looked like someone under 18.
"He was trying to identify a doll that was clearly young," Mr Archer told the court.
Mr Deacon's defence lawyer, Sam McLaughlin, told the jury there was no doubt the doll was child-like but argued that was not what his client thought he was buying.
"He did not walk into a bricks and mortar store," Mr McLaughlin said.
"He didn't see it in the flesh."
Mr McLaughlin told the court all Mr Deacon saw of the doll was a thumbnail image on a confirmation letter.
Mr McLaughlin said the internet searches for teenage dolls also did not suggest Mr Deacon was looking for a child doll, rather just a "normal" adult one.
The jury deliberated for more than a day, but this morning said it was unable to reach a verdict and was discharged.
It is not known if there will be a retrial.
