A controversial business planning its first U.S. location has hit a roadblock, according to recent reports.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, Canada-based Kinky Dolls had planned to expand to a location in Houston, Texas. The robot brothel offers clients the option to rent or buy a sex doll.

Ahead of its first location in the states, a number of vocal critics began to speak out across the Houston area.

Mayor Sylvester Turner spoke out against the proposed business amid growing backlash.

“It’s not the sort of business that we advertise for or that we seek to attract,” he said earlier this week.

At that time, Turner said he was “not trying to be the moral police or anything like that,” but explained that he was “charged with the health ad safety of the people within our city.”

The mayor’s office released a statement a short time later confirming that construction on the business had been stalled due to a permitting issue.

“A representative from the business visited the Houston permitting center to apply for an occupancy inspection,” the statement read, adding that “inspectors from the building code enforcement team visited the site and noticed work had been done without a permit.”

At that point, the mayor confirmed officials had sufficient grounds to halt the process.

“A red tag (stop work order) was issued,” the statement concluded. “The business will need to apply for a demolition permit and submit plans prior to continuing work.”

[Featured image: Fox News, video screenshot]