A Florida Republican and a Democrat in Congress are demanding answers from Shein on childlike sex doll sales.
Republican Congressman Vern Buchanan and Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz led a letter cosigned by 32 members of Congress to Shein CEO Yangtian (Chris) Xu demanding answers regarding whether Shein’s site was used to sell childlike sex dolls in the U.S. to American customers.
The bipartisan letter follows reports that Shein allowed third-party vendors to sell childlike sex dolls on its site in France.
This issue was first reported by The Hill. A SHEIN spokesperson responded to West Orlando News as they have already taken action, and that response can be found below.
“It is incredibly disappointing that a major global retailer allowed childlike sex dolls to be sold on its platform, products that are known to fuel pedophilia and endanger children,” said Rep. Vern Buchanan. “I’m proud to lead this bipartisan inquiry because companies that don’t crack down on these products must be held fully accountable and prevented from ever enabling this kind of behavior again. Congress needs to pass my CREEPER Act to impose a national ban on lifelike sex dolls resembling children and stop these obscene products from encouraging predatory conduct.”
“We cannot end the sexual exploitation of children if these repulsive products are built, sold and shared,” said Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. “So, I’m proud to work with Congressman Buchanan to shine a spotlight and demand accountability for Shein’s abhorrent business practices that allowed for the sale of childlike sex dolls on its website. We must ensure e-commerce platforms will not be complicit in the spread of these horrible items.”
Rep. Buchanan introduced the Curbing Realistic Exploitative Electronic Pedophilic Robots (CREEPER) Act 2.0 (H.R. 1186) in February 2025 with Congressman Jared Moskowitz, a South Florida Democrat, to make it a crime to import, transport, buy, sell, distribute or possess a childlike sex doll. Florida is one of five states to ban childlike sex dolls, including Tennessee, Kentucky, Utah and Hawaii.
Buchanan originally introduced the CREEPER Act 2.0 in 2020 after NBC 6 South Florida reported that a lifelike doll resembling a real girl in the Miami area was being sold online. The girl’s mother said a photo of her child was stolen and her likeness was turned into a sex doll that was legally for sale on Amazon and other websites.
“We are concerned at Shein’s lack of judgement and its inability to ensure third-party sellers comply with its Marketplace Policies intended to prevent child abuse and exploitation. We are also concerned as to the possibility that these childlike sex dolls were available for sale in the U.S., encouraging pedophilia and the sexual exploitation of children,” write the lawmakers in the letter.
According to a SHEIN spokesperson, the company has imposed strict sanctions on sellers involved in the sale of child-like dolls and announced new measures to strengthen controls across its global marketplace platform. SHEIN has implemented a complete ban on all sex-doll products, removing every related listing and visual from the platform. As a precaution, the entire adult products category has been temporarily delisted while a comprehensive review and enhanced control measures are underway. The company has also strengthened its keyword blacklist to further prevent attempted circumvention of product listing restrictions by sellers. While each seller is responsible for their own listings, SHEIN does not tolerate any breach of marketplace rules and policies.
“The fight against child exploitation is non-negotiable for SHEIN. These were marketplace listings from third-party sellers — but I take this personally,” said Donald Tang, Executive Chairman of SHEIN. “Trust is our foundation, and we will not allow anything that violates it. Every related product has been removed. We are tracing the source and will take swift, decisive action against those responsible. We will also review our internal processes thoroughly and strengthen our safeguards to protect our customers and the integrity of our marketplace.”
To reinforce this commitment, the company is establishing a Marketplace Integrity Taskforce — a cross-functional body uniting Compliance, Legal, Operations, and Public Affairs. Its mandate is to review all findings from the ongoing audit and investigation, recommend immediate corrective measures, and coordinate with regulators and other stakeholders to ensure transparency, accountability, and the highest governance standards. SHEIN will strengthen internal moderation for relevant categories and update its guidance catalogue with clearer examples to help moderation teams apply policies consistently and objectively.
All seller accounts linked to illegal or non-compliant sex-doll products will be permanently banned. SHEIN will continue to cooperate fully with regulatory authorities in every jurisdiction, providing all requested seller, buyer, and product information. The company reaffirms its zero-tolerance stance toward child sexual exploitation, which it unequivocally condemns. SHEIN also supports the creation of an industry-wide information-sharing mechanism among platforms and regulators to identify and remove non-compliant sellers more effectively across the digital marketplace.
SHEIN has temporarily suspended all sales by third party vendors on its marketplace in France following concerns about listings offered by independent third-party vendors. This measure allows a comprehensive review to ensure full adherence to French law and the highest standards of consumer protection. The Marketplace Integrity Taskforce is leading this process, auditing product listings and categories, tightening seller controls, and reinforcing platform oversight.
“Our priority is customer safety and marketplace integrity,” said Quentin Ruffat, Head of Public Affairs, France. “This suspension enables us to strengthen accountability and ensure every product meets our standards and legal obligations.”
A company spokesperson stated that SHEIN remains fully committed to ensuring that its marketplace operates with the highest standards of integrity, safety, and respect for customers and communities worldwide.
Joining Reps. Buchanan and Wasserman Schultz in signing the letter are Reps. Brian Babin (R-Texas), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), André Carson (D-Ind.), John Carter (R-Texas), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.), Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Mike Kennedy (R-Utah), Young Kim (R-Calif.), Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.), Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.), Celeste Maloy (R-Utah), John McGuire (R-Va.), Max Miller (R-Ohio), Blake Moore (R-Utah), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), Burgess Owens (R-Utah), Keith Self (R-Texas), Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.), Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), David Valadao (R-Calif.), Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) and Del. James Moylan (R-Guam).
Read the full letter here:
sheinsexdollslettercongress
