Testing urged for 1200 after Melbourne childcare worker charged with sexual assaults

RNZ News

2 days ago

By
Melissa Brown
and
Kate Higgins
, ABC
Police have charged a childcare worker who was employed across 20 centres with 70 offences including sexual assault and producing child abuse material.
Photo:
ABC News/Kristofor Lawson
Warning: This story contains details of alleged child sex abuse that may distress some audience members.
More than a thousand children will be asked to undergo health screening after police charged a childcare worker with more than 70 offences allegedly linked to a childcare centre in Point Cook, in Melbourne's south-west.
Detectives from the Sexual Crimes Squad have arrested 26-year-old Point Cook man Joshua Dale Brown in relation to alleged sexual and other offending against eight children between April 2022 and January 2023.
Police said the alleged victims were between five months and two years of age.
Deputy Commissioner Wendy Steendam joined senior police, the premier and Victoria's chief health officer in addressing the media about the investigation on Tuesday.
"I will say from the outset that this is an incredibly distressing investigation and the information we are going to provide today is particularly confronting as it involved offences [allegedly] committed against some of our vulnerable people in our community," she said.
The charges include sexual penetration of a child, producing child abuse material and recklessly contaminating goods to cause alarm or anxiety.
Health authorities said they had taken a "cautious" approach in recommending 1200 children linked to the case be tested for potential infectious diseases.
Tests could take days or even weeks to come back.
Acting Commander Janet Stevenson says the accused man had a valid Working with Children Check.
Photo:
Supplied/ABC News
Acting Commander Janet Stevenson said Brown was not known to police before the investigation began in May and he had a valid Working with Children Check.
Police said the significant investigation commenced after detectives allegedly discovered child abuse material and later executed a search warrant at Brown's Point Cook home.
She said the families of the eight alleged victims were informed last week.
"As you can imagine, this was deeply distressing for the families to hear," Acting Commander Stevenson said.
She said Victoria Police and the Victorian Department of Health on Tuesday sent a letter to all families who had children enrolled in the centres where Brown worked, but she said it was not alleged that offences occurred at all the centres.
"I understand this information will be deeply concerning and come as a great shock to many of the community," she said.
Brown has been remanded in custody to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court in September.
The Victorian government has established a webpage with information for affected families. Information, including details of the government's dedicated hotline, can be found
here
.
Police said the man had worked at 20 childcare centres between January 2017 and May 2025, and they were investigating an allegation of offending at a centre in Essendon.
The investigation is ongoing.
Chief Health Officer Christian McGrath says the health screening is being conducted out of an abundance of caution.
Photo:
ABC News/Richard Willingham
The Victorian Department of Health has initiated a public health response following the allegations.
Chief Health Officer Christian McGrath would not reveal whether Brown had tested positive to sexually transmitted infections but said the manner of the alleged offending meant some children may be recommended for screening for infectious diseases.
"This is a very complex and distressing matter, and our highest priority is the health and wellbeing of the children and families," McGrath said.
McGrath said 2,600 families who had attended the relevant childcare centres had been contacted about the recommended health screening.
"We do understand that this is another distressing element to the situation and we're taking this approach as a precaution," he said.
"We do believe it is a low risk but we want to offer this to provide assurance to the parents about the health and wellbeing of their children."
He said the infections children had been potentially exposed to could be treated with antibiotics.
Premier Jacinta Allan said the allegations were sickening.
"They are shocking and distressing, and my heart just breaks for the families who are living every parent's worst nightmare," she said.
"Families across Victoria will be horrified, will be angry and frightened."
Premier Jacinta Allan says affected families are being offered mental health support.
Photo:
Supplied/ABC News
The premier said the Early Childhood Regulator would launch an immediate investigation into the conduct of the early education providers that Brown worked for.
She said the Working with Children Check permit system would also be reviewed.
Allan said affected families were being offered mental health support.
The Victorian Liberals and Nationals issued a joint statement expressing their deepest sympathies and support for the alleged victims and their families.
They called for a comprehensive review of Victoria's safeguards for children in care, including the Working with Children Check regime and broader regulatory systems.
The Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn said changes to the national framework around improving safety in child care and education settings were being looked at by the states and territories.
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
- ABC