Victorian health authorities are recommending that 1,200 children are tested for infectious diseases after a Melbourne childcare worker was charged with allegedly sexually abusing infants and children in his care.
Police on Tuesday confirmed that a Point Cook resident, Joshua Brown, 26, had been charged in May with more than 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims aged between five months and two years old.
The infants and children attended a childcare centre in Melbourne’s western suburbs, which Guardian Australia has chosen not to name, and their families were notified last week of the alleged offending.
The charges include sexual penetration of a child under 12, attempted sexual penetration of a child under 12, sexual assault of a child under 16 and producing child abuse material for use through a carriage service.
Police said a significant investigation had taken place since Brown’s arrest, led by detectives from the sexual crimes squad.
They said detectives had established that Brown had worked at 20 childcare centres between January 2017 and May 2025. They allege there is evidence of offending at a second childcare centre in the northern suburbs, which is being “investigated as a priority”.
A website listing the centres and the known employment dates of Brown, has been set up the government, as well as a dedicated hotline for affected families.
Families whose children attended the centres during Brown’s employment are being contacted to ensure appropriate support and welfare services are provided. Some will be eligible for a payment of $5,000 to help with alternative care arrangements, loss of earnings and other practical needs.
Victoria’s chief health officer, Dr Christian McGrath, said about 2,600 families had been contacted by authorities so far, with 1,200 children recommended for screening for infectious diseases.
“This is another distressing element to the situation, and we’re taking this approach as a precaution,” he said.
“We do believe it’s a low risk but we want to offer this to provide assurance to the parents about the health and wellbeing of their children.”
McGrath refused to reveal what diseases the children may have been exposed to but said infections could be treated with antibiotics and there was no broader public health risk.
An acting police commander, Janet Stevenson, said the alleged assaults had been uncovered after the discovery of child abuse material.
“It was a proactive investigation,” she said. “It wasn’t through someone’s complaint. We didn’t have [an alleged] victim for quite some time.”
Stevenson said Brown had not been known to police before the investigation. He had a valid working with children check, which has since been cancelled.
She said police had taken the “unusual decision” to lift the suppression order on Brown’s identity to ensure “every parent out there that has a child in childcare, knows who he is and where he worked”.
Police said at this stage it was believed all alleged offending occurred within Victoria. They said there was no evidence at this time to suggest any other staff member at any centre was involved.
Victoria’s premier, Jacinta Allan, said she was “sickened” by the “shocking and distressing” allegations. “My heart just breaks for the families who are living every parent’s worst nightmare,” she said.
Allan said her government had conducted a review of working with children checks, with changes to be introduced next month to strengthen screening.
She said she would be guided by police and the early childhood regulator investigating the case but was willing to “take every action within our power to keep Victorian children safe”.
The minister for children, Lizzie Blandthorn, said stronger, mandatory child safety measures had been signed off at a meeting of state, territory and federal education ministers but she believed some reform was “moving too slow”.
Blandthorn said she would like to see a national system of registration for childcare workers fast-tracked and that Victoria would implement its own regardless.
The opposition leader, Brad Battin, said the Coalition was ready to work with government to pass legislation to ensure “the strongest possible safeguards are in place”.
The federal education minister, Jason Clare, said he had spoken to Blandthorn and the question of childcare safety had been top of the agenda when education ministers met on Friday.
“It’s one of the reasons why we’ve banned the use of personal mobile phones in childcare centres. It’s one of the reasons why we’ve made mandatory reporting of physical and sexual assaults in childcare centres a requirement within 24 hours rather than seven days.”
Clare said he would bring legislation to parliament in the next few months to cut off funding to childcare centres that didn’t reach required standards.
Brown was remanded and has remained in custody since his arrest on 12 May. He will appear at Melbourne magistrates court on 15 September.
Police have urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppersvic.com.au.
