Today Extra's Sylvia Jeffreys breaks down in tears over sickening details relating to childcare worker being charged with 70 child sex offences
The Victorian Department of Health and Victoria Police are urging the parents of 1,200 children to have them tested for infectious diseases after 26-year-old Joshua Dale Brown's alleged offending was revealed on Tuesday.
Brown, from Point Cook, southwest of Melbourne, is facing charges including the sexual penetration of a child, producing child abuse material and recklessly contaminating goods to cause alarm or anxiety.
Jeffreys, herself a mother of two, was brought to tears as she reported on the incident on the breakfast show she co-hosts with David Campbell.
'They are all allegations at this point of course, but they have rocked every parent, they have rocked the industry,' she began.
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'It is deeply disturbing, but it is not an isolated incident. There have been media reports for many months now of abuse and neglect in for-profit childcare centres,' she continued.
'The system has failed these families. The system has failed these children, and it has failed the many wonderful educators who work in the industry as well.'
Jeffreys struggled to choke back tears as she said 'nothing could be more urgent than this issue right now'.
'There will be parents this morning who will feel reluctant to drop their child at daycare today, and that should never be the case,' she said as her voice trembled.
'I'm sorry,' she added as co-host Richard Wilkins wrapped an arm around his co-host.
'It is so hard to even talk about it let alone go through this. The parents who are going through this, this morning,' Jeffreys continued.
'It needs to be at the top of the federal government's agenda today and tomorrow and every day until we see change.'
The alleged offending happened during Brown's 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 paedophile grinning with pink and blue dyed hair.
Pictures also emerged on Tuesday of a tattooed Brown interacting with children at one of the 20 daycare centres where he worked.
Police are also investigating allegations of other offending at a childcare centre in Essendon.
Brown worked 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 unnamed diseases.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan 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.
Brown, from Point Cook, southwest of Melbourne, is facing charges including the sexual penetration of a child, producing child abuse material and recklessly contaminating goods to cause alarm or anxiety
Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn said an investigation into whether there was anything educators could have done would begin immediately.
She said the department would 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.'
Victoria Police 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.'
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit their website. In an emergency, call 000.
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: 8 May 2025 – 8 May 2025
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