A pervert with terminal cancer could face jail for illegally importing a sex doll with childlike features and possessing 'extreme animal porn', a court heard.
Darryl Sharratt was caught with the horrifying stash of pornography at his home in St Helens, near Liverpool, in May last year.
Police discovered the 61-year-old had also amassed a "troubling" collection of sex dolls, plus "small female clothing", the Liverpool Echo reports.
One of the sex dolls was 4ft 7in, or 140cm, in height and had both "childlike and adultlike features", according to an expert.
But defence lawyers argued that Sharratt did not believe the doll had childlike features in a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday.
He sobbed in the dock when he admitted possessing 46 "extreme pornography images" showing people having sex with animals.
Sharratt also admitted the "improper importation of indecent or obscene goods", namely "a child-sized sex doll", with "intent to evade a prohibition".
However, the court heard that while he accepted importing the doll, he did so on the basis that he thought he had ordered an adult sex doll.
Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, said: "He's pleaded guilty on the basis it was indecent or obscene, but not on the basis that it was a child sex doll."
Mr Blasbery said officers also found other sex dolls "which were childlike in appearance", however Sharratt was not charged with importing these.
Judge Stuart Driver, QC, said he wanted to see a written basis of plea, but rejected one put forward by Sharratt in which he denied "importing a doll with childlike features".
The judge said: "This item is a doll of childlike quality and dimensions, with female breasts, that effectively make it obscene.
"The defendant has pleaded guilty to it being an obscene item but hasn’t gone as far as to say it was obscene because it has got any childlike features.”
He added: “This is a man, there is additional evidence from items seized in the defendant’s possession that he had a sexual interest in females that were of an age of - if I can create a phrase - on the borderline between child and adult.
“He had an interest in a school, I’ve seen a photo of small female clothing that was seized from his home and of course, there is the small size of the other dolls that he had in his possession, so when it comes to sentencing, the court will be troubled by that.
"And this is a doll which is in that category, it's neither obviously all adult, nor obviously all child. It's somewhere, something of a combination of the two."
Michael Hagerty, defending, agreed with the judge, but suggested perhaps a better phrase to describe the doll's features than "childlike" was "youthful".
Judge Driver said: "There is no pubic hair, it's a small size and it appears to be designed to look youthful."
Mr Hargerty said his client believed he was ordering what was shown in a screengrab of an online advert and that it was for the judge to decide whether it was childlike.
He said: "The defendant did not believe he was importing a doll with childlike features."
Judge Driver said: "In my judgement it has some childlike features and in the judgement of expert witnesses."
After Sharratt withdrew this denial, the judge adjourned sentencing until July 8, for a pre-sentence report.
Judge Driver said: "I think there is a bit of background here. The Probation Service need to look into this properly.
"It's an unusual case for them as well as us."
Mr Hagerty said his client had advanced prostate cancer and had been told "regrettably, his cancer is no longer curable."
He added: "He has limited life expectancy."
Judge Driver granted Sharratt bail, but warned: "All options are open to the court."
