Melbourne childcare worker charged with more than 70 offences against children in his care
Victoria police issued a statement on Tuesday confirming they charged 26-year-old Point Cook man Joshua Brown last month with offences including sexual penetration of a child under 12, attempted sexual penetration of a child under 12, sexual assault of a child under 16 and producing child material for use through a carriage service.
They said the charges relate to eight alleged victims, who were placed at a childcare centre in Melbourne's western suburbs.
Brown was remanded and has remained in custody since his arrest on 12 May.
He will appear at Melbourne magistrate court on 15 September.
Police said a significant investigation has taken place since Brown's arrest, led by detectives from the sexual crimes squad.
They said it has been established that Brown worked at 20 childcare centres between January 2017 and May 2025. They allege there is evidence of offending at a second childcare centre in the northern suburbs, which is being 'investigated as a priority'.
The Victorian government has set up a website listing the centres and the known employment dates of Brown.
Families who had children placed at relevant centres during the time of Brown's employment are in the process of being contacted to ensure appropriate support and welfare services are provided.
This work involves the department of health, the department of families, fairness and housing, the department of education, the Commission for Children and Young Persons, Family Safety Victoria, Gatehouse and the Royal Children's Hospital.
Police said at this stage it is believed all alleged offending occurred within Victoria. They said there is no evidence at this time to suggest any other staff member at any centre is involved.
A press conference will be held by police and the Victorian government on Tuesday morning.
Acting police commander, Janet Stevenson, said it was 'an incredibly distressing and confronting investigation for all involved'.
'I know many members of the community will hear this news and feel enormously concerned. The most important thing for our investigators was that we needed to identify the [alleged] victims involved,' Stevenson said in a statement.
'These are some of the most vulnerable members of our community and the conversations police have had to have with their families were no doubt life changing in the worst possible way.'
Cmdr Stevenson urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.
More details soon …
In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adults can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adults on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Woman ‘sexually assaulted' in wooded area of town on walk home
POLICE have launched an appeal for witnesses after a woman was sexually assaulted in a Derbyshire town. Officers said the incident happened in a wooded area close to Cantelupe Road, Ilkeston on Sunday when a man sexually assaulted a woman who was walking home. 1 Derbyshire Police said the woman managed to fight him off and run away. The man, aged in his mid-20s, is described as white, around 5ft 10in tall and of medium build. He was wearing a white Nike top with a small black tick on the front and had his nose pierced, wearing a gold ball stud. Inspector Dave Walker, who oversees policing in Erewash said: 'We know that reports of this nature will understandably cause concern amongst the local community and would like to reassure the public that we have a dedicated team of detectives working around the clock to find the person responsible. 'Ilkeston is a tight-knit community, and we have become aware of speculation about this being connected to another incident in the same area on 14 June. "We can confirm that these are not linked. A man was charged in connection with the earlier incident the following day and was remanded to prison on 16 June. 'We are very keen to speak with anyone who has information which may help with our enquiries into this incident.
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Hundreds of children to be tested for disease after childcare centre rape charges
The parents of 1,200 children in Australia are being urged to get them tested for infectious diseases after a childcare worker was charged with 70 sex offences including child rape. Joshua Dale Brown, 26, is accused of abusing eight children under the age of two, including a five-month-old baby, at a childcare centre in Melbourne between April 2022 and January 2023. Police have not ruled out that Mr Brown, who has worked at 19 other childcare centres over the past eight years, could have preyed on more alleged victims. Officers arrested him at his home in Melbourne on May 12 after uncovering evidence of child abuse material. The charges he faces include sexual penetration of a child under 12, attempted sexual penetration of a child under 12, sexual assault of a child under 16 and producing child abuse material for use through a carriage service. Janet Stevenson, the Victoria Police acting commander, said it had taken the 'unusual decision' to lift the suppression order on Mr Brown's name so that parents could check whether he would have come into contact with their child. Health authorities have contacted 2,600 families and have recommended the testing for 1,200 children who may have come into contact with him as a precaution. A website listing the centres at which Mr Brown worked and the known employment dates has been set up by the government, as well as a dedicated hotline for families. The eight children who police allege were abused by Mr Brown were all under the age of two and attended one childcare centre in a suburb of Melbourne. Dr Christian McGrath, the chief health officer in Victoria, did not disclose whether the suspect had tested positive for sexually transmitted infections, but said the manner of the alleged offending meant some children may be asked to undergo screening for infectious diseases. He said: 'This is another distressing element to the situation, and we're taking this approach as a precaution. We do believe it's a low risk, but we want to offer this to provide assurance to the parents about the health and well-being of their children.' Detectives are also investigating alleged offences at a childcare centre in Essendon, another Melbourne suburb, 'as a priority'. Police believe Mr Brown had acted alone and that the offending was confined to Victoria. He was not known to police beforehand, and his alleged offending was only uncovered because of a proactive investigation and not a tip-off or complaint. Mr Brown is yet to enter a plea to the charges and has been remanded in custody. He is due to appear at Melbourne magistrates' court on September 15. Jacinta Allan, the premier of Victoria, said she was 'sickened' by the allegations, adding: 'My heart breaks for the families who are living every parent's worst nightmare.'
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Parents of two-week-old baby ‘went for cigarette after shattering his skull'
The parents of a two-week-old baby shattered his skull and then went for a cigarette as nurses tried to resuscitate him, a court heard. Brendon Staddon suffered 'catastrophic injuries' to his head, neck, legs and jaw, while in the special care baby unit at the Yeovil District Hospital in Somerset on March 5 last year. His parents, Daniel Gunter, 27, and Sophie Staddon, 23, are both accused of murder and causing or allowing Brendon's death. Bristol Crown Court heard hospital staff had discovered the boy's injuries after Staddon told nurses her son was cold and asked them to check on him. While the staff tried to save Brendon, his parents walked outside for a cigarette, said Charles Row KC, prosecuting. 'Staff found him lying in his cot with his baby grow open,' Mr Row said. 'They immediately saw that he wasn't just cold but that he had suffered catastrophic injuries. 'In plain language, his head had been crushed so as to shatter his skull. He was badly bruised from head to toe, with deep scratches in his neck. 'He was later found to have, amongst other injuries, a broken neck, a broken jaw, broken legs, broken ankles and broken wrists.' 'Ignored the advice of nurses' The prosecution said staff carried his 'limp, lifeless body' to the resuscitation area, but Brendon did not respond to treatment. Gunter and Staddon were arrested by the police while smoking outside. Mr Row said that before Brendon died, social services and Gunter's family were worried about the 'lack of emotional warmth' the couple showed their child. When Brendon was born on Feb 20, 2024, attempts were made to persuade Staddon to stay in the hospital, but she went back to the temporary accommodation she shared with Gunter. While in hospital, Gunter repeatedly ignored the advice of nurses, taking Brendon out of the incubator without asking, overstimulating the child to the point of causing him distress and removing his nasal gastric tube. Severe head injury Mr Row said the jury needed to understand the 'sheer brutality' involved in the death. A post-mortem examination found Brendon died of 'blunt force impact(s) head injury' with multiple non-accidental injuries to the head. 'There was hardly a part of his body that was spared,' Mr Row said. The prosecutor referred to a report from Dr Roger Malcolmson, a consultant paediatric and perinatal pathologist, which suggested a severe impact head injury. '(The injuries are) consistent with a severe crush injury – like a cathode ray type television falling on a child's head,' Mr Row said. 'Upset and panicking' On the day Brendon died, Gunter asked for milk to feed Brendon at around 3am. Half an hour later, a nurse asked if they were alright, with Gunter answering in a way she 'considered odd'. 'His reply did not seem natural to her,' Mr Row said. 'He seemed excited, his response was unusually animated, and he was nodding exaggeratedly. '(The nurse) thought later that it was as if he didn't want her to go over to her.' Just after 4am Staddon approached the nursing admin station to tell them Brendon was cold. Mr Row said: 'Ms Staddon called out to Mr Gunter, 'I don't know if he is alive or not'. 'Mr Gunter said, 'he's fine, babe, he's fine'. 'Ms Staddon was upset and panicking, particularly when she heard that Brendon was not breathing. She replied, 'he's not fine'.' Staddon began 'crying hysterically', saying she wanted to see her baby, but Gunter told her to 'let them do what they need to do'. Controlling behaviour While nurses began CPR, the couple went outside for a cigarette and never returned to check on Brendon's condition. As he was led to the police van, Gunter said to his partner: 'Promise me, stick together, yeah?' The court also heard the pair had an 'on-off' relationship, with Gunter described as being 'violent' towards his partner, controlling her finances and who she could talk to. Gunter and Staddon, both of no fixed address, deny charges of murder and causing or allowing Brendon's death.
