According to the Houston Chronicle, city officials have issued a “red tag” to suspend the construction of the first sexbot brothel in Texas. The media outlet reported that building inspectors had determined that Toronto-based KinkySdollS lacked the permits required for demolition and construction at a former hair salon in the Galleria area of Houston.
READ MORE: 'Houston We Have a Problem': Soon-to-Open Sexbot Brothel Sparks Backlash in US
In order to continue the work, the company would have to “apply for a demolition permit and submit permit,” a spokesperson from the mayor’s office revealed to the Houston Chronicle.
Last week, Mayor Sylvester Turner said they were reviewing existing ordinances, and even though he was not trying to be the “moral police,” the sexbot bordello was not the type of business he wanted to open in the town.
The announcement was met with fierce opposition: a nonprofit that seeks to stop sex trafficking, Elijah Rising, mounted a Change.org petition, “Keep Robot Brothels Out of Houston,” having secured over 12,200 signatures as of October 1.
The sexbot firm opened its first facility near Toronto last year, where half an hour with a doll costs $60; the price for the new generation of sex robots ranges from $2,500 to $5,000 each.