PAEDOPHILE Ritchie Plumb tried to get the authorities to hand back a child-like sex doll he had attempted to import into the UK.

The object had been intercepted by police after Plumb bought it last December. Its discovery was what brought detectives to the 37-year-old’s Minety home, where they discovered hundreds of child sex abuse images stored on his computer.

Ahead of Plumb’s trial at Swindon Crown Court, prosecutors dropped charges of importing a child sex doll.

And the Swindon court heard he had told the probation service he wanted it back.

Rob Welling, prosecuting, said at the hearing: “He was originally charged with that offence. I have seen the advice, it indicates that although it is a small doll it is a doll to depict an adult, not a child, so it was not deemed to be obscene.

“It almost certainly was intended to be representative of a child. We can see from the defendant’s computer log he had a interest in children, female children.”

Mr Welling said that while the doll was no longer a part of the charge there was great concern that it would be handed back to him.

“We accept that it does not fall within a separate offence,” he told the court.

“Given perhaps the real motivation for having it and given the intent to maintain the defendant’s sexual interest in children, we maintain it should be forfeited or disclaimed.”

The judge advised Plumb it would go in his favour not to pursue his claim.

Plumb then decided he would sign the doll over to the authorities.