A former Australian childcare worker has been charged with 1,623 child abuse offenses against 91 children between 2007 and 2022, federal police said on Tuesday.
The 45-year-old man has been in custody in Queensland state since August 2022 when police arrested and charged him initially for making child exploitation material.
Police alleged more self-produced child abuse material was found on electronic devices purportedly owned by the man, after further investigations since his arrest last year.
"This is one of the most horrific child abuse cases that I've seen in nearly 40 years of policing," New South Wales state police Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald told a news conference.
"It's beyond the realms of anyone's imagination what this person did to these children."
Police said the man recorded the offenses on phones and cameras while working in 10 childcare centers in Brisbane between 2007 to 2013, and 2018 to 2022, an overseas centre in 2013 and 2014 and one centre in Sydney between 2014 and 2017.
He has been charged with 136 counts of rape and 110 counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 10. All the children allegedly offended were girls, with some now aged over 18 years.
The case has been scheduled in court on Aug. 21.
© Thomson Reuters 2023.
23 Comments
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kohakuebisu
Horrific.
I do not know Australia. Does "childcare" in Australia mean preschoolers (i.e., children well under 10) ?
TokyoLiving
A pity that Australia does not have the death penalty
Redemption
He needs to be castrated.
John-San
I bet he worked in the entertainment industry prior to childcare.
Tamarama
How is this even remotely possible in this day and age? 91 children?!?! This is a massive disaster for the childcare system in Queenland.
Childcare is for any children up to the age that they start Pre Primary, which is 5 years old. Some childcare is for primary school students as well, before and after school until their parents can pick them up.
Redemption
You never seem to hear this scale of behavior by female childcare workers.
Jay
As soon as one or more of the other inmates get their hands on him at Silverwater, it will be. Any sex offender in Australian prison has a target on their back, and child molesters are top of that hit list.
wallace
Better vetting. Install cameras.
Algernon LaCroix
Horrifying, but I bet this is just scratching the surface. I have a sickening feeling that the childcare industry is rife with people like this. Even though there are police checks, if these scumbags have never been caught, a police check won't reveal anything untoward.
Bob Fosse
Do you?
How odd. It’s far more likely he didn’t.
Mr Kipling
Perverts into young girls enter the "care" industry. Those into boys, the priesthood.
wallace
Mr Kipling
I suggest you watch the Canadian TV series Little Bird.
Mr Kipling
I just watch regular news. Any other organisation with the number of abuse convictions of the Catholic church would have it disbanded.
Mr Kipling
Good ideas but vetting only works for those with prior history. Cameras are expensive and child care is already a financial burden.
Best to keep fingers crossed or look after your own kids. Not much help I know. Sorry.
falseflagsteve
I've said it before, these places are a hotbed of child abuse. Predators are drawn to them, to gain easy access to their innocent victims. A child is best of at home with mother not in these awful places.
Bob Fosse
It’s a horrific case but using it to disparage all child care facilities is wrong, damaging and statistically incorrect.
Most child abuse occurs at home and is committed by family members.
falseflagsteve
Bob
Most reported yes and that abuse includes physical and verbal abuse.This fiend is being charged with over a thousand offences on 91 children, yes 91! This is known cases, could well be many more. An abuser in a family home is not going to be able to abuse in those numbers
Stranger
Ah, how do? More abuse directed at me I see. Oh well, time to blow your comments out of the water, becoming a daily event now.
The main sexual abusers or children in the family unit are males, that’s why I said the kids should stay at home with their mother. Children who go to these places on average also perform worse at school and have more unsociable traits than those who don’t.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Gee, I wonder if there could be a reason for that? You pushing for testosterone blockers for childcare workers?
Mr Kipling
Obviously several people on here have no idea how vetting works. Those vetting research for previous convictions or arrests. If there are none, even the biggest molester in the world will pass screening.
Redemption
No, common sense would suggest hiring qualified biological females.
TaiwanIsNotChina
The shortages in childcare workers and teachers demand that males be hired too. Also, would like to see that job description that says Women Only. Wouldn't fly in the US.
Mr Kipling
There are zero male midwives in Japan. US has less than 0.4% UK 0.3%
Mr Kipling
2 minus votes... But can assure you there is not a single male midwife in Japan. Not one. Quite surprised myself but check for yourself. Having all female childcare workers could be possible but not necessarily a good idea.