Man linked to Melbourne childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown charged with child sex offences and abuse material
Michael Simon Wilson of Wyndham Vale has been charged with offences related to child abuse material and sexual crimes against children, according to Melbourne Magistrates' Court.
His charges form part of a major investigation into Brown's alleged 70 offences against eight children in his care.
Brown, a 26-year-old Victorian childcare worker, is accused of abusing children aged between five months and two years over an eight-year period across 20 daycare centres in Melbourne's suburbs and Geelong.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Wilson's alleged victims are different from those in Brown's case and the alleged offences did not occur in childcare facilities.
The masthead reported that the exact nature of the connection between Wilson and Brown remains unclear.
Both men were charged following information uncovered by detectives from the Sex Crimes Squad, which led to a police raid and Brown's arrest in mid-May.
Court records show Wilson is due to appear in court on September 15, the same day as Brown.
Following Brown's charges, about 1200 children have been recommended for infectious disease screening.
Authorities have not disclosed which diseases are being investigated.
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The Advertiser
6 hours ago
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But the rapid government response doesn't tackle the root causes of issues in a sector where half of all educators had been working for less than three years, early education advocate Lisa Bryant said. The industry had a highly casualised and underpaid workforce and it was dominated by private operators whose motive was to make money, she said. "The primary thing about making money is that you cut the number of educators and the quality of the educators," Ms Bryant told AAP. "If you're working with the same educators and the children all know you, that's really protective. Having a lot of casuals coming through your centre is not." Brown had worked at 20 childcare facilities since 2017 and health authorities have recommended 1200 children get tested for unspecified infectious diseases as a precaution. Families of children who need testing will be entitled to $5000 payments to cover the cost of parents taking time off, travel and other requirements. On Wednesday it emerged a second man, Michael Simon Wilson, 36, from Hoppers Crossing, had appeared in court on the same day as Brown, charged with child abuse material, sex offences and bestiality. The connection between the pair is not known but Wilson was charged by detectives investigating Brown's case. Parents and carers have reported long wait times to access support and health information from a government hotline since news of the childcare worker's arrest was made public. Chief Health Officer Christian McGrath acknowledged the delays but said 1300 families were supported over the phone on Tuesday. The Victorian government has ordered the child safety review, which must be completed by August 15, to consider making CCTV mandatory in centres. "It's a deterrent, if nothing else," Premier Jacinta Allan said. There have also been calls for a national register of childcare workers and a comprehensive overhaul of working with children checks. The checks were in urgent need of an overhaul with nationwide changes, industry body Early Learning Association Australia, the Act for Kids charity and Scouts Australia all said. "We have found that a charge in one jurisdiction - even if it is dismissed - can prohibit an applicant from receiving a card there, but not in another," Scouts Australia chief commissioner Brendan Watson said. But Ms Bryant said a national register would just be more paperwork for services and would become a "compliance system with no teeth", while the push for video cameras could deter possible offenders but discourage great educators. Brown was not known to Victoria Police until the start of the investigation and there were no formal complaints against him. He had a valid working with children check. NSW plans to move forward with a ban on people appealing their denial of working with children clearances, while it has already announced a move to get CCTV installed in childcare centres in the state. Parent advocate group The Parenthood has ramped up calls for a national early childhood watchdog, while the Greens are pushing for a royal commission into the childcare sector. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Child safety reforms fast-tracked after a childcare worker was charged with dozens of sex offences have been dismissed as "band-aid measures" that won't stop the alleged crimes being repeated. The Victorian government has ordered an urgent child safety review, the creation of a register of all early childhood educators and brought forward a ban on phones after two men were charged by sex crimes detectives. Childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown, 26, was accused of abusing eight children aged between five months and two years at one centre in Point Cook. Federal reforms have also been flagged after the allegations were revealed, including cutting funding for childcare centres that fail to meet minimum standards. But the rapid government response doesn't tackle the root causes of issues in a sector where half of all educators had been working for less than three years, early education advocate Lisa Bryant said. The industry had a highly casualised and underpaid workforce and it was dominated by private operators whose motive was to make money, she said. "The primary thing about making money is that you cut the number of educators and the quality of the educators," Ms Bryant told AAP. "If you're working with the same educators and the children all know you, that's really protective. Having a lot of casuals coming through your centre is not." Brown had worked at 20 childcare facilities since 2017 and health authorities have recommended 1200 children get tested for unspecified infectious diseases as a precaution. Families of children who need testing will be entitled to $5000 payments to cover the cost of parents taking time off, travel and other requirements. On Wednesday it emerged a second man, Michael Simon Wilson, 36, from Hoppers Crossing, had appeared in court on the same day as Brown, charged with child abuse material, sex offences and bestiality. The connection between the pair is not known but Wilson was charged by detectives investigating Brown's case. Parents and carers have reported long wait times to access support and health information from a government hotline since news of the childcare worker's arrest was made public. Chief Health Officer Christian McGrath acknowledged the delays but said 1300 families were supported over the phone on Tuesday. The Victorian government has ordered the child safety review, which must be completed by August 15, to consider making CCTV mandatory in centres. "It's a deterrent, if nothing else," Premier Jacinta Allan said. There have also been calls for a national register of childcare workers and a comprehensive overhaul of working with children checks. The checks were in urgent need of an overhaul with nationwide changes, industry body Early Learning Association Australia, the Act for Kids charity and Scouts Australia all said. "We have found that a charge in one jurisdiction - even if it is dismissed - can prohibit an applicant from receiving a card there, but not in another," Scouts Australia chief commissioner Brendan Watson said. But Ms Bryant said a national register would just be more paperwork for services and would become a "compliance system with no teeth", while the push for video cameras could deter possible offenders but discourage great educators. Brown was not known to Victoria Police until the start of the investigation and there were no formal complaints against him. He had a valid working with children check. NSW plans to move forward with a ban on people appealing their denial of working with children clearances, while it has already announced a move to get CCTV installed in childcare centres in the state. Parent advocate group The Parenthood has ramped up calls for a national early childhood watchdog, while the Greens are pushing for a royal commission into the childcare sector. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Child safety reforms fast-tracked after a childcare worker was charged with dozens of sex offences have been dismissed as "band-aid measures" that won't stop the alleged crimes being repeated. The Victorian government has ordered an urgent child safety review, the creation of a register of all early childhood educators and brought forward a ban on phones after two men were charged by sex crimes detectives. Childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown, 26, was accused of abusing eight children aged between five months and two years at one centre in Point Cook. Federal reforms have also been flagged after the allegations were revealed, including cutting funding for childcare centres that fail to meet minimum standards. But the rapid government response doesn't tackle the root causes of issues in a sector where half of all educators had been working for less than three years, early education advocate Lisa Bryant said. The industry had a highly casualised and underpaid workforce and it was dominated by private operators whose motive was to make money, she said. "The primary thing about making money is that you cut the number of educators and the quality of the educators," Ms Bryant told AAP. "If you're working with the same educators and the children all know you, that's really protective. Having a lot of casuals coming through your centre is not." Brown had worked at 20 childcare facilities since 2017 and health authorities have recommended 1200 children get tested for unspecified infectious diseases as a precaution. Families of children who need testing will be entitled to $5000 payments to cover the cost of parents taking time off, travel and other requirements. On Wednesday it emerged a second man, Michael Simon Wilson, 36, from Hoppers Crossing, had appeared in court on the same day as Brown, charged with child abuse material, sex offences and bestiality. The connection between the pair is not known but Wilson was charged by detectives investigating Brown's case. Parents and carers have reported long wait times to access support and health information from a government hotline since news of the childcare worker's arrest was made public. Chief Health Officer Christian McGrath acknowledged the delays but said 1300 families were supported over the phone on Tuesday. The Victorian government has ordered the child safety review, which must be completed by August 15, to consider making CCTV mandatory in centres. "It's a deterrent, if nothing else," Premier Jacinta Allan said. There have also been calls for a national register of childcare workers and a comprehensive overhaul of working with children checks. The checks were in urgent need of an overhaul with nationwide changes, industry body Early Learning Association Australia, the Act for Kids charity and Scouts Australia all said. "We have found that a charge in one jurisdiction - even if it is dismissed - can prohibit an applicant from receiving a card there, but not in another," Scouts Australia chief commissioner Brendan Watson said. But Ms Bryant said a national register would just be more paperwork for services and would become a "compliance system with no teeth", while the push for video cameras could deter possible offenders but discourage great educators. Brown was not known to Victoria Police until the start of the investigation and there were no formal complaints against him. He had a valid working with children check. NSW plans to move forward with a ban on people appealing their denial of working with children clearances, while it has already announced a move to get CCTV installed in childcare centres in the state. Parent advocate group The Parenthood has ramped up calls for a national early childhood watchdog, while the Greens are pushing for a royal commission into the childcare sector. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Sydney Morning Herald
7 hours ago
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