Perth Electrician's Elaborate Child Kidnap Plot Uncovered by Authorities
A Perth tradesman meticulously planned to kidnap and sexually abuse a young girl, transforming his attic into a soundproof holding cell before police intervention thwarted the sinister scheme. Jason William Forbes, a 39-year-old electrician from Baldivis, has been sentenced following his guilty plea to multiple serious offences, revealing disturbing details of his extensive preparations.
Months of Sinister Preparation
The Perth District Court heard how Forbes spent months preparing for the abduction, scoping out schools and childcare centres while impersonating a police officer to identify potential victims. He purchased timber from Bunnings to convert his roof space into what he described as a 'panic room' designed to conceal a child, with soundproofing measures to prevent detection.
Detectives launched their investigation in July 2024 after Australian Border Force officials intercepted two custom-made child sex dolls that Forbes had ordered from overseas. When police raided his Baldivis home, they discovered an 'elaborate mind map' outlining the planned abduction scrawled on a mirror in the master bedroom, along with nappies, children's underwear, dolls, and nearly 80,000 files of child exploitation material.
Disturbing Digital Footprint
Forbes' internet search history revealed chilling queries including 'volunteer childcare work near me', 'how to build a panic room in the loft', 'knockout chemicals and gases', and 'how old can a child be left at home alone'. The court also heard that he had used his Tesla vehicle to film children on a driveway less than two kilometres from his residence, with blacked-out windows prepared for potential abduction scenarios.
During police interviews, Forbes claimed the mind map found in his bedroom represented research for a book he was writing, and he asserted that he purchased a fake police badge because he enjoyed dressing up. His defence lawyer told the court that the attic modifications were intended to provide short-term accommodation for a relative, but Judge Darren Renton SC dismissed these explanations as implausible.
Court Rejects Defence Claims
'The timing of your searching about lofts in combination with the other searches you carried out indicates to me a correlation with your use of a carriage service in planning to procure a child for sexual activity rather than it being a merely innocent coincidence,' Judge Renton told Forbes during sentencing. The judge emphasised the clear connection between Forbes' online activities and his criminal intentions.
Forbes pleaded guilty to attempting to possess child-like sex dolls, using a carriage service to prepare or plan to engage in sexual activity with a child under 16, and possessing child exploitation material. He received a sentence of nearly seven-and-a-half years imprisonment, with potential eligibility for parole as early as late 2029.
Community Shock and Police Response
Former neighbours and the new owner of Forbes' previous home expressed profound shock upon learning about the chilling plot. One neighbour told reporters, 'I wanted to ring police to find out if any of images he had were of our children - it could have been our kids.' A father-of-four added, 'It's sickening. I think the police should have let us know what was going on. He had no interest in meeting any of us.'
Police authorities highlighted the investigation as a successful example of early intervention preventing harm to children. Sex Crimes Detective Acting Superintendent David Palmer stated, 'This investigation is a clear example of early intervention preventing harm to children. Through the identification of concerning behaviour and extensive preparatory planning, WA Police were able to disrupt the offender’s actions before any child was physically harmed.'
The case serves as a stark warning about the importance of vigilance and inter-agency cooperation in identifying and preventing serious crimes against children before they can be carried out.
