How police caught alleged childcare predator Joshua Brown - as terrified parents reveal warning signs
Joshua Dale Brown, 26, from Point Cook in Melbourne 's southwest, is facing more than 70 charges including sexual penetration of a child, producing child abuse material and recklessly contaminating goods to cause alarm or anxiety.
The latter charge refers to allegations that he added bodily fluids to children's food.
The alleged offending occurred during his time at Creative Garden Early Learning Centre Point Cook, where he worked between October 2021 and February 2024.
It has now been revealed that police made a breakthrough in their case against him after they investigated the alleged sexual crimes of Michael Simon Wilson.
Detectives investigating a rape allegation against Wilson 'uncovered evidence' of alleged acts committed by Brown, the Herald Sun reported.
Wilson was charged with 45 child sex offences on Wednesday, including bestiality, rape and possession of child abuse material, according to court documents.
It is understood Brown and Wilson are known to each other, but Wilson's charges are not related to any childcare centre and involve different alleged victims.
Wilson is due to appear in court in September on the same day as Brown.
An investigation into Brown was launched after the execution of a search warrant at his home, which allegedly uncovered a cache of child abuse material.
Up to 100 officers, some of whom were parents, were part of the probe following Brown's arrest in May, The Herald reports.
'It has been an emotion bomb,' one police source said, describing the task of contacting the 'next-level devastated' parents and guardians of suspected victims.
'We pulled out all stops. It hasn't stopped since then,' they said.
Although Brown was arrested on May 12, his identity and alleged crimes could not be published until police sought to have a court suppression order lifted on Tuesday.
Within a few hours, an alarming warning was issued by the Victorian Department of Health and Victoria Police, urging the parents of 1,200 children to have them tested for infectious diseases.
The transmission of STIs via food is low but is increased if a person has cuts or sores.
Chief Health Officer Dr Christian McGrath said on Wednesday the testing was out of an 'an abundance of caution... (but) there's not no risk, which is why we are making this recommendation'.
Brown worked at 20 childcare centres over an eight-year period between January 2017 and May 2025.
Police and health authorities have contacted 2,600 families of children who attended the centres in a bid to have them tested for unnamed diseases.
Alarmed parents have spoken to the Herald Sun, with a father slamming the Point Cook daycare centre for 'brushing off' concerns he raised over his son, who has autism, and will need to be tested.
His son allegedly came home from the centre with bruising from an unknown source in 2023. There is no suggestion Brown had anything to do with the alleged incident.
'The [centre] said there were no concerns ever raised with them in the past,' he said.
'That's bulls*** because I didn't raise the sexual assault thing but I raised with them the marks that were left on my son's arms.'
Another distraught father, Justin, said he had to figure out that his seven-year-old daughter was one of those impacted through news reports.
'To go and get a f***ing seven-year-old girl STI tested, and trying to remain calm. I could burst into tears now,' he said.
Father-of-three, Satbir, recalled the moment he handed his daughter over to be cared for by an alleged sex offender at the Point Cook centre.
'I dropped off my child into his hands a couple of times,' Satbir told AAP.
'I'm a bit worried, I (need) to find out everything. I've seen him in the classroom where I dropped my children.'
A spokesperson for G8 Education, which oversees Creative Garden Point Cook, told the Herald it was taking all allegations very seriously.
'At Creative Garden Point Cook, the safety and wellbeing of all children in our care is our highest priority,' they said.
'We are committed to providing a safe environment for all children and families.'
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan on Wednesday announced an urgent review of childcare safety would be prioritised by her government.
Daycare centres will be required to enforce a ban on personal devices from September 26 or be subject to a $50,000 fine.
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