The men who have sex with dolls

Rejecting real women in favour of silicone.

The men who have sex with dolls. She's 'perfect' and agrees to whatever her man desires. The only thing is, she's plastic. We expose the disturbing phenomenon of men who reject real women in favour of silicone.

Sidore is as real to me as a human woman,' explains Davecat, right, 28, a lab technician from Detroit in the US, as he gazes lovingly at the slim, raven-haired creature beside him. 'I imagine most people think anyone who loves dolls is a pervert, but I feel normal,' he says. 'And with my silicone girlfriend, I'm part of a couple who are infinitely healthier and happier than most couples.'

Davecat paid over £4,000 for his perfect woman, Sidore, an eerily lifelike silicone doll with silky hair, manicured nails and breasts that jiggle realistically. Rather than rely on fate to lead him to his life partner, Davecat had his spouse custom-made by American manufacturer RealDolls, set up by Matt McMullen ten years ago to meet the growing demand for realistic sex dolls.

Sidore, one of hundreds of dolls that are painstakingly handmade by McMullen, has all the attributes of a real woman, including a vagina. 'I tested the physical parts of these dolls,' he admits. 'When you put something in a silicone entry, it's got this suction that a real woman couldn't have, so it's more intense than the real thing.'

Doll lovers claim their unhealthy pursuit is not just about carnal pleasure. For Malcolm (final page), a 48-year-old British IT specialist, his plastic companion is a silent soulmate ? someone to love, trust and share his life with, knowing she'll never desert him. A grey-haired recluse living in south-west England, Malcolm has not had a successful relationship with a woman. 'I've never had any success with relationships, and it's badly affected my quality of life,' he admits. 'When I've tried to joke with a woman on a date, I've felt like people nearby are looking at me, embarrassed on my behalf.'

Recently made redundant, Malcolm now spends his days writing a novel about airline pilots, his other passion in life. After a last attempt with a dating agency, Malcolm came across RealDolls online. 'I bought Rebecca a few months ago with the money left from my redundancy payment,' he recalls. 'In my imagination, she's 14 and earns pocket money by working in her school library. 'She's very important to me,' he continues. 'I feel affection for her which goes beyond sexual desire.'

The way Malcolm speaks of Rebecca leaves you wondering whether, at best, he is a fantasist or, at worst, psychotic with paedophile tendencies. Psychologist Ron Bracey is alarmed that these dolls allow their owners to indulge in fantasies that would be criminal acts in the real world. 'Who knows where consciousness begins,' Malcolm muses, worringly. 'Think of the Frankenstein monster, made from bits of dead bodies and brought to life by a flash of lightning. Is he dead or alive? A lot of people treat their dogs like children, so why is it mad to imagine a doll has feelings when she looks far more like a real woman than a dog looks like a child?'

McMullen is cashing in on his customers' proclivities, charging an extra £140 for dolls with vaginal, anal and oral entries. 'It's tricky to get everything working down there,' he says. 'Everything has to fit a certain space and it takes time.' He also styles the dolls' pubic hair to order, offering everything from a Brazilian to a 'natural'. His clientele are mostly single, ranging from twentysomethings to pensioners, and over half work in IT or engineering.

So, will these men ever be capable of forming a sexual relationship with an equal, 'real' woman? For some, it seems unlikely. Davecat says: 'Sidore gives me so much. I love her for what she is ? my anchor, support, lover and confidante.'

THE PSYCHOLOGIST'S VIEW

'The behaviour of these men is very unhealthy,' says clinical psychologist Ron Bracey. 'They are motivated by the desire to avoid rejection. They also share a need for control, which is demonstrated by the pleasure they take in designing their ideal woman, then making all the moves and decisions in their "partner's" life. This control fixation is usually a reaction to a bad experience, where sex has been a source of humiliation. These dolls allow their owners to indulge in fantasies which would be criminal acts in the real world, such as under-age sex. The doll could either be an outlet for this desire or, worringly, make the man more likely to act it out in real life.'

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