Parents of 2,000 children urged to test for infections as alleged paedophile worked across 23 centres
A child who attended a Melbourne daycare centre where an alleged paedophile is accused of carrying out dozens of sex attacks has reportedly tested positive for gonorrhoea, as authorities urge parents of 2,000 children to have their youngsters tested for sexually transmitted diseases.
Joshua Dale Brown, 26, has been charged with more than 70 offences including raping and abusing eight children aged from five months to two years old at the Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook. The shocking case has rocked Australia and sparked mass panic amongst parents whose children attended any of the 23 childcare centres where Brown worked over eight years.
Sources told Daily Mail Australia that one child who attended a Melbourne daycare centre where Brown was employed has tested positive for gonorrhoea. Whilst the Victorian government denied the claim, the Department of Health refused to reject the report.
Department Response
A Department of Health spokesman said: “Test results we’ve received to date as part of this investigation reaffirm that the risk is low.” The cautious response has done little to reassure terrified parents.
Tests are ongoing after the mass panic sparked by Brown’s arrest on 12 May, with the case suppressed until Victoria Police released details on 1 July. Police did not reveal if Brown himself had tested positive for an STI but said the manner of the alleged abuse means children should get checked.
The alleged attacker worked at 23 centres over eight years from January 2017 to May 2025, though police say the abuse charges relate to eight children at one centre between April 2022 and January 2023. He appeared in court on Tuesday and will not return until February 2026 after magistrate Donna Bakos approved a police request for an extension.
Screening Questions
Horrified parents have questioned how Brown passed screening to work with children. He held a valid Working with Children Check and had no prior criminal record at the time of his employment.
Sources revealed he was allegedly reported to state authorities two years ago for his behaviour, though it was unrelated to sexual misconduct. Despite this, he continued working across multiple centres operated by major providers including G8 Education and Affinity Education.
In response to the scandal, childcare operator G8 Education announced they would accelerate the rollout of security cameras across their 400 centres. The publicly listed company’s share price fell approximately 5 per cent following the revelations, with a total market value decline of A$150 million.
Second Arrest
The investigation took a darker turn when it emerged that Brown was arrested after police started investigating another man, Michael Simon Wilson, for the alleged rape of a teenage boy in Coburg.
Detectives examining Wilson’s devices found material linking him to Brown and the two men are known to each other, sources told the ABC. A photo shared online by Brown’s partner shows the pair together.
Wilson, 36, from Wyndham Vale, has been charged with 45 offences including rape, bestiality and possessing child abuse material. He is due to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on the same day as Brown in September.
Charges and Legal Defence
The charge sheets reveal Brown is accused of intentionally sexually touching an unknown child “where the touching was contrary to community standards of acceptable conduct” on 13 separate occasions.
He also faces charges of producing and transmitting child abuse material, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of children, and sexually penetrating children aged under 12. A separate charge alleges he contaminated goods with intent to cause public alarm or anxiety, with authorities claiming he contaminated food with bodily fluids.
Brown has employed top barrister Rishi Nathwani KC to his defence. The prominent silk unsuccessfully tried to have charge sheets withheld from the media, arguing it was “terribly unfortunate if charges were released prematurely” given the high-profile nature of the case.
Government Response
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said she was “sickened” by the allegations, describing them as “shocking and distressing”. She announced sweeping reforms including an urgent child safety review, creation of a register of all early childhood educators, and bringing forward a ban on phones in facilities.
My heart just breaks for the families who are living every parent’s worst nightmare, and as a parent too, I can only imagine the unbearable grief and pain the affected families are experiencing right now,” Allan said.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said he would press ahead with legislation to strip funding from childcare facilities that do not meet adequate safety standards. Any Australian who heard the news from Victoria yesterday would be sickened by what they heard,” Clare said at a news conference.
Complex Investigation
Victoria Police Acting Commander Janet Stevenson revealed the complexity of the investigation, stating detectives had to execute search warrants to obtain handwritten records and shift rosters due to the lack of centralised records.
These are some of the most vulnerable members of our community and the conversations police have had to have with their families were no doubt life changing in the worst possible way,” Stevenson said.
The investigation has received more than 270 Crime Stoppers reports and is ongoing, with police expecting to lay further charges. Brown remains in custody and has not entered a plea.
Support for Families
Victorian authorities have established a dedicated website at vic.gov.au/childcare-centres-investigation and a support hotline for affected families, though there have been reports of delays.
Some families are eligible for a $5,000 support payment to help cover alternative care arrangements and loss of earnings. More than a dozen families have sought legal advice about a potential class action lawsuit.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Dr Christian McGrath said approximately 1,200 children were being recommended to undergo infectious disease testing as a precaution. We do believe it’s a low risk, but we want to offer this to provide assurance to the parents about the health and wellbeing of their children,” he said.
The case has prompted calls for major reform of Australia’s early education system, with child safety advocates demanding a complete rethink of workforce arrangements and screening procedures. As the investigation continues, parents across Victoria are left questioning how such alleged abuse could occur in centres meant to provide safe care for their children.
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