Joshua Brown was pictured sporting blue hair with his boyfriend around the time he is accused of committing more than 70 sex offences at the childcare centre where he worked.
About 1,200 children are being urged to get tested for infectious diseases after Brown’s alleged offending came to light on Tuesday.
Brown is facing charges including the sexual penetration of a child and producing child abuse material over his time at Creative Garden Early Learning Centre Point Cook, where he worked between October 2021 and February 2024.
In December 2021, Brown’s partner posted a photo of the pair which featured the alleged pedophile grinning with pink and blue dyed hair.
Police are also investigating allegations of other offending at a childcare centre in Essendon.
Brown worked at at a total of 20 childcare centres over an eight-year period between January 2017 and May 2025 and authorities have contacted 2,600 families of children who attended the centres in a bid to have them tested for diseases.
The charges, which were revealed by Victoria Police on Tuesday, include the sexual penetration of a child, producing child abuse material and recklessly contaminating goods to cause alarm or anxiety.
His alleged victims attended a daycare centre in Point Cook, in Melbourne’s southwest, between April 2022 and January 2023.
Brown was employed at 20 childcare centres over an eight-year period between January 2017 and May 2025.
Detectives are prioritising investigations into alleged offending at a second childcare centre in Essendon, in the city’s northwest.
Police have contacted 2,600 families of children who attended the daycare centres while Brown was employed.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen said she was ‘sickened by these allegations of abuse’.
Brown has remained in custody since his arrest in mid-May. His Point Cook home was raided by police shortly after an investigation was launched earlier that same month.
He was not known to police before his arrest and had a valid Working With Children Check, which has since been cancelled.
Brown will next appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on September 15.
Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn said an investigation to see if there was anything educators could have done would begin immediately.
She said the department will consider other security measures including the introduction of security cameras.
‘Childcare is regulated in a national context… it’s complex, but there has been an occasion over the last period of time in which jurisdictions have questioned the adequacy of the national law and have been working with the Commonwealth on how we can improve it,’ she said.
‘One of the areas for example… that I would like to see brought forward is a national system for registration for workers.’
Acting Commander Janet Stevenson said the case had been ‘deeply distressing’.
She did not reveal what sparked the police investigation but assured the public no other childcare workers were alleged to be involved.
‘We know there are potentially people out there who have information about this investigation that they wish to pass on to police,’ she said.
‘This may be people who had children at a centre where the man worked or staff who may have worked with him and noticed particular behaviours.’
FULL LIST OF IMPACTED CENTRES:
Nino Early Learning Adventures, Point Cook: 15 Jan 2017 – 9 Jun 2019
Explorers Early Learning, Point Cook: 18 Aug 2019 – 27 Oct 2019 Casual work: 10 Nov 2019 & 22 Dec 2019
Adventurers Education, Wyndham Vale: 25 Nov 2019 – 24 Jul 2020
Only About Children, Williamstown: 28 Oct 2020 – 30 Mar 2021
Wallaby Childcare Centre, Sanctuary Lakes: 13 Apr 2021 – 25 May 2021
Nido Early Learning School, Werribee: 21 Jun 2021 – 16 Jul 2021
Creative Gardens, Point Cook: 28 Oct 2021 – 2 Feb 2024
Leopold World of Learning, Leopold: 9 Feb 2023 – 13 Feb 2023
Greenwood, Point Cook: 14 Feb 2023 – 10 Mar 2023
Little Blossoms Child Care Centre, Werribee: 14 Aug 2023 – 17 Aug 2023
D.O.T.S Occupational Therapy for Children, Footscray: 1 Mar 2024 – 30 Apr 2024
Aussie Kindies Early Learning, Sunbury: 13 Aug 2024 – 21 Aug 2024
Milestones Early Learning, Werribee: 14 Aug 2024 – 16 Aug 2024
Milestones Early Learning, Hoppers Crossing: 19 Aug 2024 – 19 Aug 2024
Papilio Early Learning, Hoppers Crossing: 22 Aug 2024 – 12 Mar 2025
Kids Academy, Melton: 12 Sep 2024 – 12 Sep 2024
Kids Academy, Kensington: 7 Oct 2024 – 9 Oct 2024
Aussie Kindies Early Learning, Keilor: 11 Feb 2025 – 11 Feb 2025
Papilio Early Learning, Essendon: 17 Feb 2025 – 9 May 2025
Milestones Early Learning, Bundoora