More Melbourne childcare centres added to where accused abuser Joshua Brown worked
The Victorian government has updated its list of childcare centres where Joshua Dale Brown worked before he was accused of sexual assault and other offences. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)
In short:
Police have revealed accused paedophile Joshua Dale Brown worked at four additional childcare centres between August 2024 and February 2025.
They also updated Mr Brown's employment dates for 10 childcare centres previously listed and removed Papilio Early Learning in Hoppers Crossing after further investigation revealed he did not work at that centre.
What's next?
Police say agencies are in the process of contacting affected families at the new centres, and at those where new work dates have been identified.
Victorian detectives have identified a further four childcare centres that employed a Melbourne worker accused of 70 offences against children.
The new list of centres and amended dates for 10 previously known centres have been released by the Sexual Crimes Squad, which is investigating Joshua Dale Brown.
The new centres are:
- Kids Academy Waratah Estate in Mickleham on 29 August 2024
- Milestones Early Learning Tarneit in Tarneit on 10 September 2024 and 13 September 2024
- Milestones Early Learning Braybrook in Braybrook on 4 December 2024 and 6 December 2024
- and Milestones Early Learning Greensborough in Greensborough on 5 December 2024, 31 January 2025 and 27 February 2025.
Joshua Brown is due to appear in court in September over the allegations. (Facebook)
An additional 800 families are being contacted by the Victorian Department of Health with testing recommendations following the update.
On July 1, police released Mr Brown's known employment dates at 20 Melbourne childcare centres from 2017 to 2025, urging about 1,200 children to seek testing for sexually transmitted infections.
More than a week ago, concerned parents told the ABC that Mr Brown worked at some childcare centres on more dates than those publicly identified by authorities.
Police now believe Mr Brown worked at 23 childcare centres.
The Papilio Early Learning in Hoppers Crossing has been removed from the list after further investigation determined the information was incorrect.
Mr Brown is facing more than 70 charges against eight children at a centre in Point Cook in Melbourne's south-west.
Victoria Police Acting Commander Janet Stevensen on Tuesday acknowledged many people would be frustrated by the time it had taken to confirm Mr Brown's additional employment dates.
"This investigation remains the highest priority for Victoria Police," she said.
"We are working through a large amount of information that has been provided to us.
"Each piece of information has to be individually assessed and verified before it can be used as part of the investigation or released to the public."
Police said confirming Joshua Brown's complete work history had been complex due to the lack of centralised records for approved childcare providers. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)
Police said their efforts to identify Mr Brown's complete work history had been "extremely complex" because childcare providers did not have centralised records, which meant detectives had to execute search warrants to get handwritten records including shift rosters.
They also interviewed witnesses and assessed more than 270 Crime Stoppers reports.
Victoria Police said the investigation was ongoing, and further updates to Mr Brown's employment history were likely in the coming weeks.
Another 800 children recommended for testing
Health authorities are recommending "precautionary" infectious disease testing for another 800 children after confirming the four additional centres.
The Department of Health said it would directly contact about 830 families after the development.
"This is obviously a highly distressing situation," Victorian chief health officer Christian McGrath said.
"I want to reassure all families being contacted that the potential exposure risk to an infectious disease for their child remains low."
Dr McGrath said the testing was precautionary and that results received to date as part of the investigation reaffirmed that the risk was low.
"There remains no wider public health risk and, importantly, the infectious diseases being tested for can be treated with antibiotics," he said.
The full list of centres, dates of employment and support available to families can be found on the Victorian government's website.
Another 800 children have been recommended for health screening as a precaution. (ABC Kimberley: Ted O'Connor)
A mother at Aussie Kindies Early Learning in Keilor said she did not understand how the dates were so wrong.
She started questioning the accuracy of Mr Brown's employment history shortly after Victoria Police announced the charges on July 1.
"Originally, they said he only worked at the centre on February 11 this year, but when I was looking in the Storypark App we use to check photos, I scrolled back and saw photos of Joshua Brown on February 4," she told the ABC.
"I was in a group chat with some mothers, and another mother found a photo on the 7th of February.
"I was wondering how many other days did he work that we don't know about?"
The mother said she rang the centre on July 4 and was given additional dates Mr Brown worked.
When she called the Department of Health, she was initially told that neither of her two children were recommended for testing, based on the February 11 date.
When the mother explained the dates provided by Victoria Police were inaccurate and that he had worked there earlier, the nurse said testing would be recommended.
"I don't understand how they messed the dates up so much," she said.
"There are a lot of unhappy people at the centre."
Police now believe Mr Brown worked at 23 childcare centres. (ABC News: Samantha Jonscher)
The four newly identified childcare services, as well as six of the centres where work dates have been updated, are run by Affinity Education Group.
In a statement, the company said it had undertaken a "comprehensive review of our employment and staffing records" since being briefed on the allegations against Mr Brown on July 1.
An Affinity spokesperson said the company was committed to supporting affected families and would continue to "cooperate fully" with authorities.
"We are deeply sorry for the distress this is causing our families — no family should have to go through this," a spokesperson said.
"We share the urgency in ensuring that affected families receive accurate and timely information."