Child Reportedly Diagnosed With STI After Former Childcare Worker Arrested

A child who attended a daycare which employed alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown has reportedly been diagnosed with gonorrhoea.

Brown, 26, was initially charged with more than 70 sexual offences relating to at least eight alleged victims between the ages of five months and two years old. These charges include sexual penetration of a child, producing child abuse material and recklessly contaminating goods to cause alarm or anxiety and occurred at the Creative Garden Early Learning Centre.

However, according to Brown’s lawyer Rishi Nathwani KC, he is expected to be hit with “further charges” while detectives finalised charges against Brown. His court date has been pushed back to next year to allow for authorities time to gather more evidence.

“The informant said there will be more charges,” Nathwani said during Tuesday’s appearance in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, per the ABC.

Joshua Dale Brown is charged with more than 70 child sexual abuse offences. (Image: 9News)

Brown is believed to have worked at approximately 24 childcare centres throughout his career, and it’s alleged he contaminated food with bodily fluids.

As a result, health authorities urged more than 1,200 children who attended these centres to undergo testing for sexually transmitted infections. Per a source speaking to Daily Mail Australia, one of these children has allegedly tested positive for gonorrhoea.

Earlier this month, it was reported that a class action lawsuit could be launched by the families caught up in the investigation.

“Given the number of childcare centres the alleged offender worked across, we will be exploring the potential for a class action,” Arnold, Thomas & Becker principal lawyer Jodie Harris explained.

“However, individual claims in this case may be more appropriate avenue for the families impacted — we will be exploring both options and will determine the most suitable approach.”

He worked in more than 20 childcare centres during the span of his career. (Image: 9News)

Following the allegations, the Victorian Government will commission a review into childcare safety. Premier Jacinta Allan says the state will establish a register of childcare workers by the end of August, after previous childcare regulation systems have “not worked”.

Federal education minister Jason Clare has further committed to absorbing the Victorian register into a national register.

Brown is due to return to court in early February.

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