St. John’s man testifies he ordered adult female sex doll for ‘companionship,’ to represent his infant son who died in 1986
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. —
The trial of a St. John’s man accused of ordering a child sex doll online from Japan was suddenly halted Friday when he collapsed while testifying.
Kenneth Harrisson was being cross-examined in provincial court at 11:30 a.m. when he fell sideways off the step-high witness stand onto the floor. The fall, in front of Judge Mark Pike’s bench, caused a loud thump.
RNC Const. Terry Follett and Harrison’s lawyer, Bob Buckingham, quickly rushed to Harrisson’s assistance, as sheriff’s officers were called to the courtroom. Pike left the courtroom to allow the group to tend to Harrisson, who was alert and responding to Follett’s questions as he lay on the floor.
Minutes later, sheriff’s officers cleared the courtroom.
Harrisson had to wait more than 40 minutes for paramedics to arrive after there was a miscommunication about who would call 911. The call was placed roughly 30 minutes after he collapsed.
When paramedics finally arrived, the 54-year-old was still on the floor, and was lifted onto a stretcher and taken to hospital. Harrisson, who sat upright on the stretcher, covered his head with his jacket as he was wheeled past reporters to a awaiting ambulance on Harbour Drive.
Lawyers told reporters the trial will likely be postponed until Monday, when it will be determined if Harrisson is OK to continue testifying.
Harrisson is charged with possessing child porn and with violating the Customs Act for smuggling the doll into Canada.
Under direct questioning from Buckingham, Harrisson told the court he had been married and that he and his wife had a child, Christian, in June 1986. However, he said the child died five months later of sudden infant death syndrome. Harrisson and his wife separated the following year and eventually divorced, he said. He has been living with his mother for the past 30 years, he said.
When Buckingham asked why he ordered a sex doll on the internet, Harrisson replied, “For companionship. … To fill a void in my life … I thought it would be therapeutic.
“I was lonely at the time because of the loss of my child,” added Harrison, who momentarily choked up with emotion.
He said the idea to get a sex doll was spurred by a magazine advertisement he saw for a company that produces baby dolls in the likeness of your own child.
Harrisson said he wanted a doll that would be more representative of the age his child would have been at the time — 26 years old, so he visited a manikins website, but they were not life-like enough for him.
“I just wanted a doll as a reminder of my child,” he said.
It was on that website that he stumbled across an article on sex dolls, he said. That led him to do a Google image search for “sex dolls.”
He said of many images that appeared on his screen, one image — a head shot of a white female doll marked, “Carol doll” — caught his attention.
“I liked the appearance of the doll. It had blue eyes and black hair,” he said. “The face, the nose, was what attracted me (to that image).”
Harrisson said when he clicked on the image, it led him to the website of the manufacturer, Harumi Designs, a Japanese company that also makes adult sex dolls. He said he saw the Carol doll and ordered the deluxe kit, which included makeup and pubic hair. He paid via PayPal using his credit card.
When asked why he wanted a doll with pubic hair and makeup, Harrisson said the pubic hair came with the makeup, which he wanted to make the doll look the way he pleased.
He said the doll was in the kneeling position, “what’s commonly referred to as doggie style.” It was dressed in black lingerie.
Harrisson insisted he thought he was ordering an adult sex doll. Photos he was shown of the doll he received indicated it wasn’t the one he ordered, he said. Harrisson didn’t see the contents of the box that was delivered to his house in March 2013, as he was arrested that day.
In cross-examination, Crown prosecutor Bill Howse questioned why Harrisson would pay $1,000 for a Japanese product from the first image he saw without shopping around first for Canadian or U.S. companies.
Howse also pointed out that if Harrisson wanted a doll to represent his child who had died, he should have ordered a male doll.
“Possibly,” Harrisson replied.
Howse then asked him if he was looking to have sexual relations with the doll.
“No, sir,” Harrisson said.
“Simulated sex, that was your purpose, wasn’t it?” Howse asked.
Again, Harrisson replied, “No, sir.”
Howse was asking another question when Harrisson fell to the floor.
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. —
The trial of a St. John’s man accused of ordering a child sex doll online from Japan was suddenly halted Friday when he collapsed while testifying.
Kenneth Harrisson was being cross-examined in provincial court at 11:30 a.m. when he fell sideways off the step-high witness stand onto the floor. The fall, in front of Judge Mark Pike’s bench, caused a loud thump.
RNC Const. Terry Follett and Harrison’s lawyer, Bob Buckingham, quickly rushed to Harrisson’s assistance, as sheriff’s officers were called to the courtroom. Pike left the courtroom to allow the group to tend to Harrisson, who was alert and responding to Follett’s questions as he lay on the floor.
Minutes later, sheriff’s officers cleared the courtroom.
Harrisson had to wait more than 40 minutes for paramedics to arrive after there was a miscommunication about who would call 911. The call was placed roughly 30 minutes after he collapsed.
When paramedics finally arrived, the 54-year-old was still on the floor, and was lifted onto a stretcher and taken to hospital. Harrisson, who sat upright on the stretcher, covered his head with his jacket as he was wheeled past reporters to a awaiting ambulance on Harbour Drive.
Lawyers told reporters the trial will likely be postponed until Monday, when it will be determined if Harrisson is OK to continue testifying.
Harrisson is charged with possessing child porn and with violating the Customs Act for smuggling the doll into Canada.
Under direct questioning from Buckingham, Harrisson told the court he had been married and that he and his wife had a child, Christian, in June 1986. However, he said the child died five months later of sudden infant death syndrome. Harrisson and his wife separated the following year and eventually divorced, he said. He has been living with his mother for the past 30 years, he said.
When Buckingham asked why he ordered a sex doll on the internet, Harrisson replied, “For companionship. … To fill a void in my life … I thought it would be therapeutic.
“I was lonely at the time because of the loss of my child,” added Harrison, who momentarily choked up with emotion.
He said the idea to get a sex doll was spurred by a magazine advertisement he saw for a company that produces baby dolls in the likeness of your own child.
Harrisson said he wanted a doll that would be more representative of the age his child would have been at the time — 26 years old, so he visited a manikins website, but they were not life-like enough for him.
“I just wanted a doll as a reminder of my child,” he said.
It was on that website that he stumbled across an article on sex dolls, he said. That led him to do a Google image search for “sex dolls.”
He said of many images that appeared on his screen, one image — a head shot of a white female doll marked, “Carol doll” — caught his attention.
“I liked the appearance of the doll. It had blue eyes and black hair,” he said. “The face, the nose, was what attracted me (to that image).”
Harrisson said when he clicked on the image, it led him to the website of the manufacturer, Harumi Designs, a Japanese company that also makes adult sex dolls. He said he saw the Carol doll and ordered the deluxe kit, which included makeup and pubic hair. He paid via PayPal using his credit card.
When asked why he wanted a doll with pubic hair and makeup, Harrisson said the pubic hair came with the makeup, which he wanted to make the doll look the way he pleased.
He said the doll was in the kneeling position, “what’s commonly referred to as doggie style.” It was dressed in black lingerie.
Harrisson insisted he thought he was ordering an adult sex doll. Photos he was shown of the doll he received indicated it wasn’t the one he ordered, he said. Harrisson didn’t see the contents of the box that was delivered to his house in March 2013, as he was arrested that day.
In cross-examination, Crown prosecutor Bill Howse questioned why Harrisson would pay $1,000 for a Japanese product from the first image he saw without shopping around first for Canadian or U.S. companies.
Howse also pointed out that if Harrisson wanted a doll to represent his child who had died, he should have ordered a male doll.
“Possibly,” Harrisson replied.
Howse then asked him if he was looking to have sexual relations with the doll.
“No, sir,” Harrisson said.
“Simulated sex, that was your purpose, wasn’t it?” Howse asked.
Again, Harrisson replied, “No, sir.”
Howse was asking another question when Harrisson fell to the floor.
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