Exclusive: A Melbourne father has spoken out learning his toddler may have attended a childcare centre where alleged paedophile Joshua Brown worked, as the former childcare worker’s employment history is revisited.
A major police investigation saw Joshua Brown charged with 70 offences, including sexual assault, earlier this year.
The charges relate to eight alleged victims at a Point Cook early education centre.
About 1200 families were also contacted to send their children for precautionary testing for sexually transmitted diseases.
Revelations emerged yesterday that Brown may have worked on more occasions than those listed on the government website.
Melbourne father Daniel* did not initially think his family had been impacted, until an updated timeline revealed a crossover between his two-year-old son’s attendance and Brown’s employment at a centre in the city’s west.
“We didn’t expect it, for us to be involved in it, and when we did find out my heart sank,” Daniel said.
“These are dates that the government weren’t aware of, and yeah, it’s just unfortunate that we had to find out that way,” he told 9News.
Premier Jacinta Allan said the website was being “constantly updated”.
Because they were not initially contacted by the health department, Daniel claims his son was turned away from the test site and had to scramble to prove his toddler needed the test.
“To make such big mistakes in this, with young children involved between, you know, five months to two years and, you know, to be cutting corners and, …. the communication breakdown has been poor…it’s very disappointing,” Daniel told 9News.
Police are investigating if any alleged abuse occurred at the 19 other facilities he worked at.
Allan has assured parents the government is taking immediate action, yesterday appointing Jay Weatherill to review Victoria’s childcare sector.
“Jay Weatherill is the best person for this work, he is the best person to lead this work,” she said.
But critics have argued the former South Australian premier, who oversaw the worst child protection failure in the state’s history, is not the right fit.
“How on earth can we have confidence that this review will deliver the outcomes that Victorian families need?” shadow education minister Jess Wilson asked.
*Name has been changed for privacy
