Alleged childcare paedophile worked at four more centres than previously known

Alleged childcare paedophile Joshua Dale Brown worked at four additional Melbourne childcare centres than previously revealed, according to Victoria Police.

Brown is accused of 70 offences related to eight alleged victims police say were at Creative Gardens Early Learning Centre in Point Cook between April 2022 and January 2023.

Since then, claims have emerged that Brown may have worked additional shifts at centres.

Those additions include:

Service dates have also changed for 10 centres mentioned in the original list.

Papilio Early Learning in Hoppers Crossing has been removed from the list of workplaces attended by Brown.

“Although records obtained by police recorded that Brown had worked at Papilio Early Learning in Hoppers Crossing between 22 August 2024 and 12 March 2025, further investigation has since determined this information was incorrect and the centre has been removed from the list,” the government website read.

“Victoria Police is in contact with impacted families.”

All other service timelines remain the same at this stage.

There is no suggestion any further alleged offending occurred at any of the centres listed at this stage.

Impacted families will be contacted by the Department of Health, the government said.

Victorian chief health officer Dr Christian McGrath said 830 families would be contacted to offer “wrap around supports and provide testing recommendations”.

“This is obviously a highly distressing situation, and I want to reassure all families being contacted that the potential exposure risk to an infectious disease for their child remains low,” McGrath said.

“Our recommendation for testing is a precaution and the test results we’ve received to date as part of this investigation reaffirms that the risk is low.

“There remains no wider public health risk, and importantly the infectious diseases being tested for can be treated with antibiotics.”