A male childcare worker has been charged with more than 70 alleged child sex offences as 1,200 children are urged to get tested for infectious diseases.
Joshua Dale Brown, 26, was arrested on May 12 and charged with a range of offences relating to eight alleged victims between the ages of two months and five-years-old.
His offences include the sexual penetration of a child, producing child abuse material and recklessly contaminating goods to cause alarm or anxiety.
The 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.
Up to 2,600 families of children who attended the centres while Brown was employed have been contacted by police, and 1,200 children recommended to undergo testing by health authorities for infectious diseases due to a ‘potential exposure risk’.
Chief Health Officer Christian McGrath told a press conference on Tuesday that the testing process was expected to take ‘days to weeks’. He said infected children could be treated with antibiotics.
Dr McGrath said health authorities were confident that those who had not been contacted will not need to undergo the testing.
Families who have not been contacted by authorities, but are worried, can call a dedicated advice hotline on 1800 791 241. It is available seven days a week from 8am to 9pm on weekdays and 8am to 5pm on weekends.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen said she was ‘sickened by these allegations of abuse’.
‘They are shocking and distressing, and my heart just breaks for the families who are living every parent’s worst nightmare,’ she said.
Brown has remained in custody since his arrest in mid-May.
He was not known to police before his arrest and had a valid Working With Children Check, which has since been cancelled.
He 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 indicated she expected the case would fast-track changes to childcare regulations.
‘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.’
She said teachers must be registered but childcare workers are not subjected to a similar registry.
The department will consider other security measures including the introduction of security cameras to early learning centres.
Acting Commander Janet Stevenson said the case had been ‘deeply distressing’ for affected families.
She did not reveal what sparked the police investigation but assured the public no other childcare workers were alleged to be involved.
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: 8 May 2025 – 8 May 202