A former Thanet school church warden has been jailed for 16 months today for importing a lifelike child sex doll - in one of the first cases of its kind in the country.

Pervert David Turner, 72, also had more than 30,000 vile sex images of children at his Ramsgate home.

Now Judge Simon James has told him: “However repugnant right-thinking people may find it, there appears to be a significant number of people who have a sexual interest in children.

“Their appetite for images depicting the rape and serious sexual abuse of children has created a market place which results in real children being subjected to the most horrifying abuse.”

He told the father of four daughters: “There is absolutely no doubt that you are one of those whose unnatural interests serve to fuel this repugnant trade!”

Turner, a church goer and former school governor, of Hollicondane Road, Ramsgate, pleaded guilty to importing the £1000 child sex toy from China.

Canterbury Crown Court heard how he had three dolls at his home, which he dressed in child clothes and had sex with at least two of them.

The judge told him: “The word ‘doll’ does not adequately convey what you imported. Frankly, without seeing one, it is difficult to convey just how lifelike and repugnant they are.

“Your deliberate seeking out of items designed to recreate sex with children is a significant aggravating feature and demonstrates that having become dissatisfied with two-dimensional imagery you have moved on to seek to act out your grotesque fantasies.”

He added that the lengths Turner had gone to to “attempt to satisfy your perversions” meant he posed a significant risk to children.

National Crime Agency officers arrested Turner in November last year after Border Force officers intercepted a 3ft doll which he was attempting to import from China.

The Border Force led Fast Parcel Joint Border Intelligence Unit at Stansted Airport intercepted the parcel which was labelled as a mannequin. It came with a fishnet body-stocking.

When NCA officers searched Turner’s home in December they discovered two child sex dolls which he kept in his study and seized a computer, tablets, external hard drives and pen drives.

The charge relates to a 3ft 10in doll that was already in his possession, and which he had bought clothes for.

Analysis of Turner’s computers showed he viewed websites selling items advertised as “flat chest love doll” and “mini silicone sex doll 65cms little breasts”.

He was in possession of 138 Category A images of child abuse (the most serious), 299 Category B images and 33,619 Category C images.

Children in the images were aged from approximately three years to to 16.

In interview, Turner said his preference was to view indecent images of children aged four to 10 and he admittedly “secretly” taking photographs of girls aged six to 11 in public places.

Officers also found 29 fictional stories – which described sexual abuse of children but fell outside the Obscene Publications Act – when they searched Turner’s home.

After being arrested Turner resigned as a school governor of St Ethelbert’s Church Primary School in Margate and from St Ethelbert’s and Gertrude Church where he was a warden.

Hazel Stewart, from the NCA CEOP Specialist Operation Team, said: “The importation of these child sex dolls is a relatively new phenomenon.

“There is no evidence that these items help potential abusers. In fact, there is a real risk that those who use them could become desensitised and go on to abuse children" - NSPCC spokesman

“We know their purchase can indicate other offences against children, as was the case against Turner who had a sickening stash of abuse images.

An NSPCC spokesperson said later: “The importation of these grotesque dolls is an emerging problem and – as in this case – appears to be prevalent among individuals who have amassed indecent images and harmed children through their online activities.

“There is no evidence that these items help potential abusers. In fact, there is a real risk that those who use them could become desensitised and go on to abuse children.

“We’re calling on the government to close a disturbing legal loophole and make it a crime to create, distribute or possess these dolls.”

Barnardo’s chief executive, Javed Khan, said: “We hope the sentencing shines a light on this deeply disturbing trend and sends a stark warning to anyone thinking of buying one of these child sex dolls.

"Evidence from the National Crime Agency shows there’s a clear link between these obscene dolls and offences against vulnerable children, including the downloading of indecent images.

“Children need the law’s full protection and we welcome further investigations and prosecutions into people who import these disgusting dolls.”