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A West Australian man mapped out kindergartens, researched how to restrain a child and modified his attic part of his plan to abduct a child, police say.
The Baldivis man was sentenced to seven years’ jail in January.
Police say they were tipped off to the 37-year-old’s plans in mid-2024, when Australian Border Force officials intercepted a child-like sex doll which was being shipped to his home in Perth.
Officers said they executed a search warrant at the man’s home in Baldivis, where they uncovered disturbing plans aimed at potentially abducing a child.
Detectives allegedly found the man had undertaken repeated online research regarding kindergartens, early learning centres, schools and other child-focused locations, how to approach, isolate and restrain a child, and had even gone so far as to create detailed written diagrams outlining his intended abduction methods.
A police spokesperson said when officers went to the man’s address, they found he had taken extraordinary steps towards preparing his home for potentially abducting a child.
“Police also identified structural modifications to his residence, including construction work to a roof and attic space with restricted access, which formed part of the overall assessment that the accused was actively preparing to commit physical harm,” the spokesperson said.
Officers found significant child exploitation material on the man’s computer and charged him with a raft of offences including using a carrier service to prepare or plan to engage in sexual activity with a child under 16, and attempting to possess child-like sex dolls.
Sex Crimes Detective Acting Superintendent David Palmer said the sentence was a win for officers.
“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,” he said.
The man pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to seven years and five months in jail.
Australian Border Force Commander Ranjeev Maharaj said police moved quickly to prevent the man from executing his plans.
“The initial detection by the ABF of a Child Like Sex Doll smuggled into Australia ended up uncovering a concerning number of additional crimes,” he said.
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