ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Having collapsed during his testimony in provincial court on Friday, Kenneth Harrisson was back on the stand Monday morning, where he reiterated his defence that he had not planned to have sex with a childlike doll he had purchased online.
Harrisson's trial — which has been ongoing in St. John's for almost two years — came to a close after his testimony wrapped up Monday.
Charged with possessing child pornography and mailing obscene material as well as two charges under the federal Customs Act relating to smuggling and possessing prohibited goods, Harrisson insisted he had not purchased the doll from a Japanese e-tailer with the intent of having intercourse with it. His only purpose, he said, was to buy an adult-like doll to replace his son, who died years ago at the age of six months.
Harrisson said he had found the doll online after doing a Google search for "sex doll," and chose a doll called Carol because it had the closest "male-like" face to resemble his son.
His son would have been 25 years old at the time Harrisson purchased the doll in 2013.
Harrisson told the court under cross-examination by prosecutors Bill Howse and Dana Sullivan that he had planned to dress the doll in male clothing and take it to his cabin in Paradise.
Harrisson said he did not recall ordering cotton underwear for the doll, which came automatically with a makeup kit and pubic hair. The fact that the doll was positioned kneeling in a sexual position didn't factor into his decision to buy it, he said, and he had not thought to search for "male sex doll."
Howse asked Harrisson to explain his defence, saying it "doesn't make any sense."
"The purpose I intended it for was to replace my son, period," Harrisson replied. "I did not order a sex doll of a childlike nature."
"The purpose I intended it for was to replace my son, period." — Kenneth Harrisson
He said he had been lonely and had wanted a lifelike doll to represent the age his son would have been at the time.
Sullivan asked him why he hadn't gotten a dog instead.
"A dog is not representative of a human," Harrisson answered.
"Did you go to the (Japanese company's) website because you wanted to order a child doll?" Sullivan asked.
"No, I did not," Harrisson replied.
Defence lawyer Bob Buckingham, who is representing Harrisson with co-counsel Brittany Whalen, asked his client if he had a budget in mind at the time he went shopping for a doll.
"Yes, I had a budget in mind of up to $3,000," Harrisson said.
He had not done any comparative searches, he said, and hadn't looked any further once he had seen the thumbnail of Carol appear in his search.
Presented with screenshots taken from the company's website showing images of child sex dolls, Harrisson said he had not seen any of those photos when he bought the doll.
Harrisson was arrested in March 2013 after police performed a "controlled delivery" of the four-foot box containing the doll, which was addressed to Harrisson and sent from a company that was on Canada Border Services' watch list.
Last year, Buckingham and Whalen applied to have the case dismissed on the grounds that child pornography laws interfered with Harrisson's right to freedom of expression. They also argued the laws are discriminatory toward pedophiles.
Judge Mark Pike rejected that application, concluding that the laws don't discriminate against pedophiles — who are not part of a group recognized by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms — since they apply to everyone equally.
Pike referenced testimony already given at trial by forensic psychiatrist Dr. Peter Collins, an expert in sexually deviant behaviour, who told the court pedophiles can sometimes become "incited" by imagery, including sex dolls, while others might be satisfied without committing sex crimes. Outcomes differ according to various factors, Collins said.
The court has heard no evidence that Harrisson is a pedophile, and he does not have a prior criminal record.
The case will be back in court Tuesday morning, when lawyers will present their closing submissions.
Twitter: @tara_bradbury
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