About 1,200 households have been urged by police in Australia to have their kids examined for infectious ailments after a toddler care employee in Melbourne was charged with a number of sexual assault offenses towards eight kids.
Joshua Brown, 26, was charged with greater than 70 offenses, together with little one rape and tried rape and possession of kid sexual abuse materials, the Victoria Police mentioned in a assertion Tuesday.
“A very powerful factor for our investigators was that we wanted to determine the victims concerned,” Appearing Commander Janet Stevenson of the Victoria Police’s Crime Command mentioned Tuesday. “These are a few of the most weak members of our neighborhood and the conversations police have needed to have with their households had been little doubt life altering within the worst attainable means.”
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The costs relate to eight alleged victims from one little one care centre within the Melbourne suburb of Level Cook dinner, between April 2022 and January 2023, however authorities worry extra kids could have been affected. Brown labored at greater than 20 little one care facilities within the area between 2017 and his arrest in Might 2025, based on the police.
Detectives are investigating, “as a precedence,” proof of attainable additional offenses by Brown throughout his time at one other little one care heart within the Melbourne suburb of Essendon.
In complete, some 2,600 households whose kids attended the 2 establishments throughout Brown’s employment have been contacted, with authorities recommending 1,200 kids be examined for sure ailments as a result of “method of the alleged offending,” state well being authorities mentioned.
“As a precaution, we’re recommending that some kids endure testing for infectious ailments attributable to a possible publicity danger in that interval,” Victoria Chief Well being Officer Christian McGrath mentioned at a information convention on Tuesday. “We do consider it is a low danger, however we wish to supply this to offer assurance to the mother and father concerning the well being and wellbeing of their kids.”
McGrath did not specify which ailments the well being division had advisable testing for, however mentioned they might be handled with antibiotics.
The police mentioned they consider Brown acted alone, and solely throughout the state of Victoria. He had a sound certification to work with kids within the state, and was not identified to police previous to his arrest in Might, after detectives found he had little one abuse materials.
High Victoria state official, Premier Jacinta Allan, mentioned in a assertion Tuesday that she was “sickened by these allegations of abuse. They’re stunning and distressing.”
“My coronary heart breaks for these households who’re dwelling each mum or dad’s worst nightmare,” she added. “As a mum or dad I can solely think about the insufferable ache and misery the affected households are feeling.”
Brown, who has been in custody since Might and has but to enter a plea to the fees, is because of seem within the Melbourne Magistrates Court docket on Sept. 15.
