Former Australian Childcare Worker Charged with Sexually Assaulting 91 Children: One of the Worst Cases

The youngest victims were one year old. A former Australian childcare worker has been charged with sexually assaulting 91 children. The assaults took place at ten different childcare centers between 2007 and 2022 and exclusively targeted “prepubescent girls”, New South Wales Police in Australia reported on Tuesday (August 1st).

The 45-year-old has been charged with 1,623 crimes including 136 rapes, and 110 ‘intercourse’ with children under the age of ten – a charge used instead of rape in some Australian jurisdictions -, added the police.

4,000 images and videos found on the darknet

Investigators were able to trace his trail in August by successfully matching the background of child pornography content found on the darknet to a facility in central Brisbane, Queensland.

More than 4,000 images and videos were discovered on his phone and his computer, the officers then measuring the gravity of the “abominable” alleged crimes of the former childcare worker, who would have “all” filmed them or would have taken photos, according to the police.

Of the 91 alleged victims, 87 are Australian, and police believe the other four were victims of the man between 2013 and 2014 when he briefly worked overseas. Police said they were cooperating with international agencies to find the four people, but did not reveal which countries were targeted.

Falling through the cracks of background checks

New South Wales Deputy Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald said it was one of the worst cases he had ever seen. “What this person did to these children is beyond comprehension,” he said. “I can only say, you’re trying not to be shocked after being in the force for a long time, but it’s a terrible case.”

Some 35 detectives and investigators from the states of Queensland and New South Wales made up the team responsible for analyzing the child pornography content discovered by the police. The latter further explained that the man had passed the rigorous background checks required to work in childcare centers in the states of Queensland and New Wales.

The man, whose identity has not been released, is due in court in Queensland on August 21. Once these legal proceedings are completed, he will be extradited to the State of New South Wales where he will have to answer other charges.