Pointed questions are being asked if more can and should be done to protect vulnerable children in the wake of the arrest of a Gold Coast man charged with 1623 sex offences against pre-pubescent girls at 10 childcare centres in Brisbane and one in Sydney.
Amid the outrage and disgust, police and government officials are trying to establish how the 45-year-old was able to allegedly film the rape and abuse of almost 100 alleged victims for so long, and in so many places.
Anyone working in childcare in Australia must have a ‘Working with Children’ check, and the Australian Federal Police said yesterday that the accused man did have the appropriate qualifications in place.
Queensland’s Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath has ordered an immediate review of the alleged offender’s approval to work with children.
D’Ath described Queensland as having “one of the toughest” check systems in the country, but said: “It’s imperative we investigate to see if there are any areas in the system that need urgent action.”
In New South Wales, the Minns government is pushing for better sharing of child protection data across jurisdictions to ensure nobody evades detection by moving states.
Safety advocate Hetty Johnston, the founder of Bravehearts, said some of the childcare centres allegedly involved could be liable for payouts.
“There shouldn’t be any solid walls in a childcare centre, it should be all windows,” she told 2GB, speaking with host Deb Knight.
“Nobody should be allowed to be alone in a childcare centre or in a school for that matter.”
Others, like Nationals Senator Matt Canavan, argue stricter prevention measures must be bolstered by harsher punishment.
“Surely we don’t have a penalty on the books strong enough for this heinous individual,” he said.
“Life imprisonment seems like a slap on the wrist.”
Canavan said there must be more debate on appropriate sentencing.
Parents have every right to expect childcare workers are safe, have been vetted and are being monitored, Johnston said
“But we see they’re not,” she said.
“It’s heartbreaking, and even more heartbreaking because it’s avoidable.”
With his alleged abuse starting almost two decades ago, police allege the man recorded all of his offending on phones and cameras
The man allegedly abused young girls in 10 childcare centres in Brisbane between 2007 to 2013, and 2018 to 2022; and one centre in Sydney between 2014 and 2017.
He is also accused of abusing four children in an overseas location in 2013 and 2014.
Some of the alleged victims are now aged over 18. Police said they are confident they have identified and spoken with all alleged victims.
Police first took the man into custody in Queensland in August last year, when the AFP arrested and charged him initially with two counts of making child exploitation material and one count of using a carriage service for child abuse material.
Operation Tenterfield was immediately launched and within hours detectives allegedly found more than 4000 images and videos containing alleged child abuse material, allegedly created by the suspect, on the man’s electronic devices.
Police allege the man had uploaded the child abuse material to the dark web.
In 2014 Queensland Police Service’s specialist unit Taskforce Argos located alleged child abuse images and videos allegedly produced by the suspect on the dark web.
But it wasn’t until August last year they secured a major breakthrough.
Detectives traced objects in the background of the alleged images and videos posted on the dark web between 2013 and 2014 to a Brisbane childcare centre.
The AFP executed a search warrant on 20 August last year and arrested the man in Brisbane’s southwestern suburbs.
If you think a child is in immediate danger call Triple Zero (000), Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000, or your local police.
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