Calls growing for more regulation of online sales after man buys child sex doll

Calls for the online sale of child sex abuse dolls are growing after a Perth man who bought them was jailed over a plot to kidnap a child.

Jason William Forbes, 39, was sentenced to seven years and five months in prison last month after he thwarted a police plot to kidnap a girl by pretending to be a police officer.

His case was only announced by authorities this week.

Forbes pleaded guilty to attempted possession of a child sex toy, using a transportation service to plan sexual activity with a child, and possession of child abuse material.

Forbes came to the attention of authorities after ordering a child sex doll online in 2024, when ABF officers executed a search warrant at her home.

Just days later, calls are growing for all major online retailers to stop selling child sex abuse dolls.

Buying and using dolls for child sexual abuse is not a victimless crime, Australian activist group Collective Shout said.

“Child sex abuse dolls are replicas of little girls, sometimes even toddlers, or dolls produced for the discretionary sexual use of men,” campaign manager Caitlin Roper said.

“They normalize and legitimize child sexual abuse, allowing men to practice on a replica child who looks and feels like a real child.”

Ms Roper claimed that Amazon in particular continued to sell the dolls, while other global marketplaces such as Temu and Shein had banned the dolls.

“Amazon is complicit. They facilitate and profit from predators accessing illegal child sexual exploitation materials,” he said.

“Did Amazon provide Forbes with child sex abuse dolls that he was working on before escalating his kidnapping and sexual exploitation scheme of a child?”

“How many other crimes against children has Amazon facilitated by advertising and distributing copies of little girls to predators?”

But an Amazon spokesperson told NewsWire that protecting children and teenagers is their priority, adding that they want all products offered in their stores to comply with applicable regulations.

“Protecting children and young people is a priority for us and we require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable regulations,” they said.

“We have strict policies and guidelines in the adult products segment and have always strictly prohibited child pornography.

“This includes having clear policies prohibiting the sale of sex dolls with a childlike appearance, which all third-party sellers in our store must comply with.

“We invest heavily in tools and teams to constantly monitor our store and ensure our guidelines and policies are followed.

“Third-party sellers who fail to do so will be subject to action, including removal of their accounts.”

Collective Shout said they called on Amazon to sell the dolls in November, and more than 1,000 Collective Shout supporters emailed Amazon executives, calling for the removal of child sex abuse dolls. They say Amazon is staying silent.

It is currently unknown from which online site Forbes purchased the baby, and it is not claimed that he purchased it from Amazon.

horror details

It comes as more gruesome details about the Forbes case emerged throughout the week.

After researching how to build a panic room, the British-born man, who lives in the Perth suburb of Baldivis, researched schools and created a loft with soundproofing materials.

Detective Acting Superintendent Eamon Flanagan said “something terrible” could have happened if police had not made the arrest.

“It was clear that there was a serious and imminent risk of any delay in this investigation,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

Australian Border Force Inspector David Williamson said Forbes was initially resistant to allowing officers into the home.

“When we entered the building, we realized why he didn’t want us in the building,” he told reporters.

“There was an electronic device on the kitchen counter that displayed child abuse material.

“There was an additional (childlike sex) doll in the bedroom.

“We quickly realized this was outside the remit of the Australian Border Force… and contacted our (WA Police) partner agency in the child exploitation operations area, who quickly joined and took over the evidence collection process.”

Digital devices believed to contain child abuse material were seized, as well as baby diapers, dolls, children’s underwear and a hard copy of child abuse.

Police teams also found a fake police badge during the search of his vehicle.

In sentencing, District Court Judge Darren Renton said Forbes had “carefully selected the features” of the doll and that it was clearly childish.

Regarding the second count, Judge Renton said Google searches showed Forbes was planning to kidnap a child.

He searched various locations for schools and nurseries in the Perth metropolitan area, and their locations were marked in various Google Maps searches.

He also used his Tesla to take video of children aged eight and 10 in the driveway of a house less than 2 km from his home in April 2024.

A still image was captured from this video and saved in a folder named “X marks the spot”.

Police found a ladder mounted in the attic area in the back bedroom of his home.

Forbes had bought timber from Bunnings to build the loft.

Judge Renton said the child abuse material in Forbes’ possession was highly depraved and involved infants and children up to the age of 15.

He said the level of premeditation was an aggravating factor.