‘True horror’: Push for childcare rapist to be jailed for life

A top prosecutor has called for one of Australia’s worst paedophiles to receive a life sentence, saying the “true horror” of the ex-childcare worker’s offences is difficult to describe.

Ashley Paul Griffith, 46, faced Brisbane District Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to 28 counts of rape against girls primarily aged three to five at childcare centres in Queensland between 2007 and 2022.

Griffith pleaded guilty to 307 offences including ongoing sexual abuse and making child exploitation material against nearly 70 victims beginning in 2003.

Ashley Paul Griffith faces life in prison.Credit: Marija Ercegovac

He appeared in the dock wearing a green military-style jacket and a dark green shirt as some of the victims and family members sat directly behind him, separated by a wall of unbreakable glass.

Director of Public Prosecutions Todd Fuller told Judge Paul Smith that Griffith should face a life sentence with an extended non-parole period for his “abhorrent” crimes.

“The true horror of the offending is hard to describe in words,” Fuller said.

Three victims, who are now young adults, read their victim impact statements along with 20 parents of victims.

One woman said Griffith had been her favourite caretaker at kindergarten and had unlimited trust in him until she found out about how he abused her.

“I’m not sure it is something I can ever come to terms with ... people say at least you don’t remember it, as if it makes it better,” she said.

Another woman said she had suffered severe mental health issues associated with trauma growing up but had never known why until Griffith was arrested.

“I can never go back in time, I can never get my childhood back and grow up unafraid of people,” she said.

A victim’s mother said Griffith was one of the few people she trusted to care for her child.

“I will regret that decision for the rest of my life,” she said.

Fuller said Griffith has no prior criminal record and held clearances to work with children at the time of his offending.

Griffith was identified through an “extensive and painstaking investigation” of objects in the background of child sexual abuse videos he uploaded in 2014 to a website run by notorious South Australian child rapist Shannon McCoole.

Fuller said Griffith uploaded videos of abuse he committed to gain access to child sexual abuse material from other members of McCoole’s website.

Griffith was twice investigated in the years before he was arrested, once over a complaint from a child he had touched her and another time from a colleague who saw him acting suspiciously with a child.

Both times the complaints were not substantiated after Griffith told centre management the first child was mistaken and told police he was just trying to help the second child get to sleep.

Smith is due to hand down Griffith’s sentence on Friday.

Griffith is also subject to an arrest warrant in NSW for child sex offences he allegedly committed in that state.

If you or anyone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (and see lifeline.org.au), 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), the National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service on 1800 211 028 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.

AAP