Australia arrests childcare worker; 1,200 children urged to get tested
Victoria Police announced in a statement Tuesday that Joshua Brown of Point Cook, a Melbourne suburb, has been charged with more than 70 counts related to the alleged abuse of eight children at a Point Cook childcare center between April 2022 and January 2023.
He was arrested on May 12 and was remanded into police custody, where he remains, authorities said.
Since his arrest, Victoria Police has undertaken what the department described as a "significant investigation" that established Brown worked at 20 childcare centers between January 2017 and May, and they are examining evidence of potential additional alleged offenses having committed at a second childcare facility.
Investigators are currently trying to identify potential additional victims, Acting Commander Jane Stevenson of Crime Command said.
"There will be people in the community who hear this news and feel very concerned about their own children. Parents who had a child at a center at the time of the many's employment are being notified today and a website has been set up by the Victorian government with further information for impacted families," Stevenson said in a statement.
Australian police and health officials said families were being contacted "to ensure appropriate support and welfare services are provided."
"The manner of the alleged offending means some children may be recommended for screening for infectious diseases," the government of Victoria said in a statement.
"We acknowledge how distressing this will be for all families involved and the impact it will have on the broader community. Everything possible is being done to provide the vital support now required."
Chief Health Officer Christian McGrath told reporters during a press conference that around 2,600 families have been contacted in connection to the case and that they are recommending approximately 1,200 children undergo testing for infectious diseases.
"Families and the wider community can be reassured that the infections that the children were potentially exposed to can be treated with antibiotics and that there's no broader public health risk to the community," he said.
Stevenson said in the press conference that they are not suggesting that the accused offended in all 20 centers, but they are encouraging anyone with information to come forward.
She added that all alleged offenses are believed to have taken place within Victoria and that no other childcare workers were involved.
Premier Jacinta Allan of Victoria issued a statement saying she was "sickened" by the allegations and that her "heart breaks for those families who are living every parent's worst nightmare."
"As a parent, I can only imagine the unbearable pain and distress the affected families are feeling," she said.
"Every health and mental health support will be provided to them."
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