Police have charged a 26-year-old childcare worker with more than 70 offences after allegedly discovering child abuse material in an investigation that began in May 2025.
Joshua Dale Brown of Point Cook faces charges including sexual penetration of a child, producing child abuse material and recklessly contaminating goods to cause alarm or anxiety.
Point Cook Centre at Heart of Major Child Abuse Investigation
The charges relate to alleged sexual assaults against eight children aged between five months and two years old at Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook between April 2022 and January 2023.
Detectives from the Sexual Crimes Squad arrested Brown following the discovery of alleged child abuse material and a subsequent search warrant executed at his Point Cook home.
Acting Commander Janet Stevenson said the families of the eight alleged victims were informed last week. “As you can imagine, this was deeply distressing for the families to hear,” she told reporters.
Brown was not known to police before the investigation began and held a valid Working with Children Check. He worked at the Point Cook centre from October 2021 to February 2024.
The man has been remanded in custody. He is set to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court in September.
Health Screening Recommended for 1,200 Children Across Multiple Centres
Brown worked at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne between 2017 and May 2025. Police are investigating a further allegation relating to a centre in Essendon.
The Victorian Department of Health has initiated a public health response following the allegations. Chief Health Officer Christian McGrath said 2,600 families who attended the relevant childcare centres had been contacted about recommended health screening.
Health authorities are taking a “cautious” approach in recommending 1,200 children linked to the case to be tested for potential infectious diseases. The infections children may have been potentially exposed to can be treated with antibiotics.
“We do understand that this is another distressing element to the situation and we’re taking this approach as a precaution,” Dr McGrath said. “We do believe it is a low risk but we want to offer this to provide assurance to the parents about the health and wellbeing of their children.”
Tests could take days or even weeks to come back. McGrath would not reveal whether Brown had tested positive for sexually transmitted infections.
Victoria Police and the Victorian Department of Health sent letters to all families with children enrolled at centres where Brown had worked. Police clarified that offences were not alleged to have occurred at all the centres.
G8 Education, which operates the Point Cook centre, said the allegations were extremely distressing and it was focused on supporting affected families. The company said it carried out all required employment and background checks for Brown, who no longer works at the centre.
State Premier Jacinta Allan said she was “sickened” by the alleged crimes. “They are shocking and distressing,” she told reporters. “And my heart just breaks for the families who are living every parent’s worst nightmare.”
Deputy Commissioner Wendy Steendam described the investigation as “incredibly distressing” and said the information was “particularly confronting as it involved offences [allegedly] committed against some of our vulnerable people in our community.”
The Victorian government has established a webpage with information for affected families, including details of the government’s dedicated hotline.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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