Accused abuser worked after childcare misconduct claims
Joshua Dale Brown was charged with more than 70 sex offences against eight alleged victims aged under two at a centre at Point Cook, in Melbourne's southwest, between April 2022 and January 2023.
The 26-year-old, who worked at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne from 2017 to 2025, has been accused of abusing eight children aged under two at the G8 Education-run facility.
The ASX-listed childcare giant said it investigated Brown's conduct twice while he was employed at the company.
Both incidents, which did not involve claims of sexual misconduct, occurred after the alleged abuse for which he has been charged.
However, Brown's working-with-children approval wasn't revoked despite the two events being substantiated and reported to state authorities.
The first G8 Education investigation in April 2023 found Brown aggressively picked up and put down, and did not emotionally support, an upset child in his care.
Brown was given a formal written warning and placed on a performance improvement plan. He took three months' leave after the investigation.
In January 2024, Brown was suspended and resigned after a second round of allegations.
These included that he raised his voice during interactions with three children and forcibly grabbed the arm of one child, the leg of another child and forcibly pulled off that child's shoe.
The allegations were considered proven, the company said.
Emergency Services Minister Vicki Ward defended the government's response but deflected questions about why Brown was allowed to continue working with children in various centres until May.
"The premier has responded to the information that has been available," she told reporters on Sunday.
"She has acted very quickly, as has the government. Victoria Police are thoroughly investigating what are absolutely horrific allegations.
"I'm not going to engage in any commentary that could, anyway at all, hamper the investigation by the Victoria Police."
The state government has instigated a rapid review into safety provisions in the childcare sector, including changes to strengthen working with children checks.
But Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the government needed to take action rather than launching another review.
"We can't have a system where kids are left at risk and parents don't trust the system," he said.
"We need to see action, and there are some things we can do now."
Other measures being investigated include mandating CCTV cameras in childcare centres, which G8 Education has committed to doing in its facilities, and bringing forward a ban on personal mobile phones.
G8 Education chief executive Pejman Okhovat said the company took immediate action after receiving reports about Brown's conduct and "followed robust processes for responding to serious incidents of this nature, including all required actions under regulation and law".
"All families who were impacted by the allegations were informed of the investigations and their outcomes," he said.
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National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
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The Advertiser
8 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Accused abuser worked after childcare misconduct claims
Joshua Dale Brown was charged with more than 70 sex offences against eight alleged victims aged under two at a centre at Point Cook, in Melbourne's southwest, between April 2022 and January 2023. The 26-year-old, who worked at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne from 2017 to 2025, has been accused of abusing eight children aged under two at the G8 Education-run facility. The ASX-listed childcare giant said it investigated Brown's conduct twice while he was employed at the company. Both incidents, which did not involve claims of sexual misconduct, occurred after the alleged abuse for which he has been charged. However, Brown's working-with-children approval wasn't revoked despite the two events being substantiated and reported to state authorities. The first G8 Education investigation in April 2023 found Brown aggressively picked up and put down, and did not emotionally support, an upset child in his care. Brown was given a formal written warning and placed on a performance improvement plan. He took three months' leave after the investigation. In January 2024, Brown was suspended and resigned after a second round of allegations. These included that he raised his voice during interactions with three children and forcibly grabbed the arm of one child, the leg of another child and forcibly pulled off that child's shoe. The allegations were considered proven, the company said. "The premier has responded to the information that has been available," she told reporters on Sunday. "She has acted very quickly, as has the government. Victoria Police are thoroughly investigating what are absolutely horrific allegations. "I'm not going to engage in any commentary that could, anyway at all, hamper the investigation by the Victoria Police." The state government has instigated a rapid review into safety provisions in the childcare sector, including changes to strengthen working with children checks. But Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the government needed to take action rather than launching another review. "We can't have a system where kids are left at risk and parents don't trust the system," he said. "We need to see action, and there are some things we can do now." Other measures being investigated include mandating CCTV cameras in childcare centres, which G8 Education has committed to doing in its facilities, and bringing forward a ban on personal mobile phones. G8 Education chief executive Pejman Okhovat said the company took immediate action after receiving reports about Brown's conduct and "followed robust processes for responding to serious incidents of this nature, including all required actions under regulation and law". "All families who were impacted by the allegations were informed of the investigations and their outcomes," he said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Joshua Dale Brown was charged with more than 70 sex offences against eight alleged victims aged under two at a centre at Point Cook, in Melbourne's southwest, between April 2022 and January 2023. The 26-year-old, who worked at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne from 2017 to 2025, has been accused of abusing eight children aged under two at the G8 Education-run facility. The ASX-listed childcare giant said it investigated Brown's conduct twice while he was employed at the company. Both incidents, which did not involve claims of sexual misconduct, occurred after the alleged abuse for which he has been charged. However, Brown's working-with-children approval wasn't revoked despite the two events being substantiated and reported to state authorities. The first G8 Education investigation in April 2023 found Brown aggressively picked up and put down, and did not emotionally support, an upset child in his care. Brown was given a formal written warning and placed on a performance improvement plan. He took three months' leave after the investigation. In January 2024, Brown was suspended and resigned after a second round of allegations. These included that he raised his voice during interactions with three children and forcibly grabbed the arm of one child, the leg of another child and forcibly pulled off that child's shoe. The allegations were considered proven, the company said. "The premier has responded to the information that has been available," she told reporters on Sunday. "She has acted very quickly, as has the government. Victoria Police are thoroughly investigating what are absolutely horrific allegations. "I'm not going to engage in any commentary that could, anyway at all, hamper the investigation by the Victoria Police." The state government has instigated a rapid review into safety provisions in the childcare sector, including changes to strengthen working with children checks. But Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the government needed to take action rather than launching another review. "We can't have a system where kids are left at risk and parents don't trust the system," he said. "We need to see action, and there are some things we can do now." Other measures being investigated include mandating CCTV cameras in childcare centres, which G8 Education has committed to doing in its facilities, and bringing forward a ban on personal mobile phones. G8 Education chief executive Pejman Okhovat said the company took immediate action after receiving reports about Brown's conduct and "followed robust processes for responding to serious incidents of this nature, including all required actions under regulation and law". "All families who were impacted by the allegations were informed of the investigations and their outcomes," he said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Joshua Dale Brown was charged with more than 70 sex offences against eight alleged victims aged under two at a centre at Point Cook, in Melbourne's southwest, between April 2022 and January 2023. The 26-year-old, who worked at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne from 2017 to 2025, has been accused of abusing eight children aged under two at the G8 Education-run facility. The ASX-listed childcare giant said it investigated Brown's conduct twice while he was employed at the company. Both incidents, which did not involve claims of sexual misconduct, occurred after the alleged abuse for which he has been charged. However, Brown's working-with-children approval wasn't revoked despite the two events being substantiated and reported to state authorities. The first G8 Education investigation in April 2023 found Brown aggressively picked up and put down, and did not emotionally support, an upset child in his care. Brown was given a formal written warning and placed on a performance improvement plan. He took three months' leave after the investigation. In January 2024, Brown was suspended and resigned after a second round of allegations. These included that he raised his voice during interactions with three children and forcibly grabbed the arm of one child, the leg of another child and forcibly pulled off that child's shoe. The allegations were considered proven, the company said. "The premier has responded to the information that has been available," she told reporters on Sunday. "She has acted very quickly, as has the government. Victoria Police are thoroughly investigating what are absolutely horrific allegations. "I'm not going to engage in any commentary that could, anyway at all, hamper the investigation by the Victoria Police." The state government has instigated a rapid review into safety provisions in the childcare sector, including changes to strengthen working with children checks. But Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the government needed to take action rather than launching another review. "We can't have a system where kids are left at risk and parents don't trust the system," he said. "We need to see action, and there are some things we can do now." Other measures being investigated include mandating CCTV cameras in childcare centres, which G8 Education has committed to doing in its facilities, and bringing forward a ban on personal mobile phones. G8 Education chief executive Pejman Okhovat said the company took immediate action after receiving reports about Brown's conduct and "followed robust processes for responding to serious incidents of this nature, including all required actions under regulation and law". "All families who were impacted by the allegations were informed of the investigations and their outcomes," he said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Joshua Dale Brown was charged with more than 70 sex offences against eight alleged victims aged under two at a centre at Point Cook, in Melbourne's southwest, between April 2022 and January 2023. The 26-year-old, who worked at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne from 2017 to 2025, has been accused of abusing eight children aged under two at the G8 Education-run facility. The ASX-listed childcare giant said it investigated Brown's conduct twice while he was employed at the company. Both incidents, which did not involve claims of sexual misconduct, occurred after the alleged abuse for which he has been charged. However, Brown's working-with-children approval wasn't revoked despite the two events being substantiated and reported to state authorities. The first G8 Education investigation in April 2023 found Brown aggressively picked up and put down, and did not emotionally support, an upset child in his care. Brown was given a formal written warning and placed on a performance improvement plan. He took three months' leave after the investigation. In January 2024, Brown was suspended and resigned after a second round of allegations. These included that he raised his voice during interactions with three children and forcibly grabbed the arm of one child, the leg of another child and forcibly pulled off that child's shoe. The allegations were considered proven, the company said. "The premier has responded to the information that has been available," she told reporters on Sunday. "She has acted very quickly, as has the government. Victoria Police are thoroughly investigating what are absolutely horrific allegations. "I'm not going to engage in any commentary that could, anyway at all, hamper the investigation by the Victoria Police." The state government has instigated a rapid review into safety provisions in the childcare sector, including changes to strengthen working with children checks. But Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the government needed to take action rather than launching another review. "We can't have a system where kids are left at risk and parents don't trust the system," he said. "We need to see action, and there are some things we can do now." Other measures being investigated include mandating CCTV cameras in childcare centres, which G8 Education has committed to doing in its facilities, and bringing forward a ban on personal mobile phones. G8 Education chief executive Pejman Okhovat said the company took immediate action after receiving reports about Brown's conduct and "followed robust processes for responding to serious incidents of this nature, including all required actions under regulation and law". "All families who were impacted by the allegations were informed of the investigations and their outcomes," he said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Perth Now
11 hours ago
- Perth Now
Accused abuser worked after childcare misconduct claims
State officials have defended their handling of an accused pedophile childcare worker's case after it was revealed he was allowed to continue working with kids despite substantiated claims of misconduct. Joshua Dale Brown was charged with more than 70 sex offences against eight alleged victims aged under two at a centre at Point Cook, in Melbourne's southwest, between April 2022 and January 2023. The 26-year-old, who worked at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne from 2017 to 2025, has been accused of abusing eight children aged under two at the G8 Education-run facility. The ASX-listed childcare giant said it investigated Brown's conduct twice while he was employed at the company. Both incidents, which did not involve claims of sexual misconduct, occurred after the alleged abuse for which he has been charged. However, Brown's working-with-children approval wasn't revoked despite the two events being substantiated and reported to state authorities. The first G8 Education investigation in April 2023 found Brown aggressively picked up and put down, and did not emotionally support, an upset child in his care. Brown was given a formal written warning and placed on a performance improvement plan. He took three months' leave after the investigation. In January 2024, Brown was suspended and resigned after a second round of allegations. These included that he raised his voice during interactions with three children and forcibly grabbed the arm of one child, the leg of another child and forcibly pulled off that child's shoe. The allegations were considered proven, the company said. Emergency Services Minister Vicki Ward defended the government's response but deflected questions about why Brown was allowed to continue working with children in various centres until May. "The premier has responded to the information that has been available," she told reporters on Sunday. "She has acted very quickly, as has the government. Victoria Police are thoroughly investigating what are absolutely horrific allegations. "I'm not going to engage in any commentary that could, anyway at all, hamper the investigation by the Victoria Police." The state government has instigated a rapid review into safety provisions in the childcare sector, including changes to strengthen working with children checks. But Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the government needed to take action rather than launching another review. "We can't have a system where kids are left at risk and parents don't trust the system," he said. "We need to see action, and there are some things we can do now." Other measures being investigated include mandating CCTV cameras in childcare centres, which G8 Education has committed to doing in its facilities, and bringing forward a ban on personal mobile phones. G8 Education chief executive Pejman Okhovat said the company took immediate action after receiving reports about Brown's conduct and "followed robust processes for responding to serious incidents of this nature, including all required actions under regulation and law". "All families who were impacted by the allegations were informed of the investigations and their outcomes," he said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Perth Now
15 hours ago
- Perth Now
Bombshell on childcare accused's history
Alleged childcare pedophile Joshua Dale Brown was reported for his conduct two years before his arrest, a bombshell ABC investigation has revealed. The report could have triggered a review of his clearances. Two reports were made to Victoria's Reportable Conduct Scheme before his arrest about his interaction with children at the Point Cook Creative Gardens childcare centre - the same centre where his alleged sexual offences occurred. The two newly revealed reports did not relate to sexual offending, but included Mr Brown behaving 'aggressively' with a child two years before his arrest. Mr Brown was charged on May 12 with more than 70 offences against eight alleged victims between five months and two years old. A statewide call was put out by Victorian health authorities for 1200 children to get tests for sexually transmitted diseases, sparking outrage among parents. G8 Education who run the Creative Garden childcare centre in Point Cook sent details of the offending to families in a statement uploaded to its website. The Point Cook Creative Garden Early Learning Centre. Credit: News Corp Australia 'We are reaching out to you today as we understand there may be further media stories about Joshua Dale Brown relating to incidents where he was the subject of suspension of employment, investigation and disciplinary action by G8 Education, in matters which are unrelated to the charges he is now facing,' the statement read. In the first reported incident, which was investigated in April 2023, Mr Brown 'aggressively picked up and put down and did not uphold the dignity and rights of a child in his care by not supporting that child while they were upset'. The incident was raised by three staff members and reported to Victoria Police, The Commission for Children and Young People and the Department of Education — it was then referred back to G8 to deal with internally. In its statement G8 said the incident was 'thoroughly investigated' and the allegations were substantiated. Mr Brown was placed on three months' leave, received a warning and was given an improvement plan. The second incident was investigated in January 2024 and involved Mr Brown raising his voice with three children and 'forcibly' grabbing the arm of one child, the leg of another and pulling off one of the children's shoes. Again, the incident was reported to Victoria Police, CCYP and the Department, which again referred it back to G8 to deal with. G8 substantiated those allegations as well. Mr Brown was suspended by G8, and he subsequently resigned. He went on to work at 10 more childcare centres, not operated by G8. Joshua Dale Brown was found to have 'aggressively' picked up a child more than two years before his arrest on 70 offences. Picture Supplied. Credit: Supplied A substantiated finding would typically trigger a person's Working With Children Check to be reviewed, but the ABC reported that the CCYP used discretionary powers not to escalate Mr Brown's offending as it was viewed as a lower-level incident. If it had been escalated it would have give authorities an opportunity to review his Working With Children Check. Last Tuesday, G8 Education issued a market update to the Australian Stock Exchange which detailed its response to the allegations. Chief executive Pejman Okhovat said: 'These allegations are deeply disturbing, and our hearts go out to the children and families involved. 'I am deeply sorry for the unimaginable pain caused to our families and what they are going through. 'Our primary focus right now is on supporting all families who are impacted, as well as our team members in Victoria. He continued on to say that the chain is working with Victoria Police and the government in their investigation and 'doing everything we can' to help the families and children find justice.
