Sex robot brothel planned for Houston comes to a halt amid allegations owner misrepresented business

HOUSTON, Texas -- A so-called sex robot brothel, the first of its kind in the U.S., was planned for the Galleria area, but has hit a sudden snag.

The owner of "Kinkys Dolls," based in Toronto, said the business that rents robotic sex dolls that are capable of response and sound was expected to be open by this week.

The exact location of the planned business in Houston wasn't released, but on Friday, Eyewitness News received an inspection report by Houston Public Works about an office space near the Galleria on Richmond near Chimney Rock.

Wednesday, according to the report, inspectors "red-tagged" work on the space because no permits application had been received. It ordered the modifications to the space be removed.

The property manager confirmed it was to be the space for the sexbot brothel, but he said that's not what the would-be tenants told him. According to a statement from his attorney, Richard Nava, "My client was contacted about a lease for an art gallery at his Richmond offices, and was never provided the leasing documents he requested. After a few days passed, my client discovered the true nature of the business and never agreed to signing a lease for what was misrepresented as an art gallery. My client wants no part in this story or any type of any sexually oriented business."

An online petition sponsored by anti-human trafficking group Elijah Rising opposes the business.

Mayor Sylvester Turner is also examining the city's current sexually-oriented business ordinance for possible updates in the wake of technology making its way into erotic enterprise, replacing humans with silicone and rubber versions.

We reached out to the owner of "Kinkys Dolls" in Toronto, and are awaiting a response to today's developments.

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