Childcare sex abuse charges: Mother of alleged victim in emotional Facebook post

The mother of a little girl allegedly raped by a childcare worker accused of 1600 child sex offences over 15 years has posted an emotional open letter.

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The mother of a little girl allegedly raped by a childcare worker accused of 1600 child sex offences over 15 years has detailed how he would describe her daughter’s “great day” after inflicting terrible abuse on her.

The woman, who posted anonymously online to protect her child, spoke of her devastation at the allegations and called for more education for childcare workers in picking up on grooming techniques.

The woman says her daughter was aged three and four when she was allegedly abused by the man.

“My youngest daughter, the one I eventually realised he was (allegedly) abusing, would run up to him every time she was at kindy,” the anonymous post read.

“She would exclaim his name and express excitement at all they would do that day. I felt so reassured knowing my baby was cared for … it made me feel secure knowing she was in good hands and was happy at that centre.

“But with such beauty was lurking a darkness. While he greeted us and told us our daughters ‘had a great day’, he had (allegedly) been raping them.

“I struggle with this on a deep level.”

Australian Federal Police revealed on Tuesday a 45-year-old Gold Coast man was in custody, charged with 1623 offences relating to the rape and sexual abuse of 91 girls in childcare.

The girls were at multiple childcare centres in Brisbane, in Sydney and overseas.

Police have identified all 87 Australian victims, all of which were young girls, and are still working to identify four young girls overseas.

The offending allegedly occurred between 2007 and 2022.

The man’s charges include 136 counts of rape and 110 counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 10.

The AFP has alleged the man filmed and photographed all of his offending.

The mother of an alleged victim has made an emotional Facebook post. (File image)

The open letter was posted in a Brisbane mothers’ Facebook group and contains detailed allegations about the case.

While it is unable to be verified, it contains information consistent with the investigation and a source with knowledge of the matter has told The Courier-Mail it appears legitimate.

“Despite such a well-outlined and professional delivery by the Australian Federal Police, I felt like my voice was lost among the horrific detail of what this individual (allegedly) did to our daughters,” the woman wrote.

“Many will ask, ‘were there any red flags?’ To be honest, no, for me there weren’t.

“This individual befriended us and appeared to be child-centred in his approach to early learning.

“He ... indulged the children in exceptional play-based learning strategies that had everyone impressed.

“His approach was akin to that of Montessori, using natural elements to create new and wonderful things.

“He loved art and would encourage the kids to express themselves using any media they could find.”

Historical employment information found by The Courier-Mail includes a description the man wrote about his career working with children.

He said he enjoyed engaging children in “meaningful experiences” that inspired their play and learning.

He was fascinated by the ways in which children expressed themselves through drawing, building, painting and music to develop their identity.

The woman wrote she felt a deep sense of betrayal, but also guilt, on learning of the allegations.

NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald and federal police Assistant Commissioner Justine Gough address the media about a former childcare worker being charged with 1623 child abuse offences against 91 children. Picture: Mohammad Alfares

“I grapple with my own sense of responsibility, how could I not have seen this?” she wrote.

She said the man abruptly left the centre and that his departure caused her to ask questions about the safety of her children.

“It was six months later that we would be contacted by the Australian Federal Police to identify stills of our daughters from videos where he was (allegedly) abusing them,” she said in the post.

“Fast forward to today, where I sit and I write out my feelings.

“The profound truth is: My life has been turned upside-down by this atrocity.

“In so many respects, we, as parents, have been let down and failed by the systems which are meant to keep our children safe.

“He should have been (arrested) earlier.”

Police this week revealed two reports had been made about the man – one in 2020 and another in 2021. They were both investigated but there was not enough evidence to proceed, the AFP said.

“When I asked our childcare centre why we were not advised about the 2021 report, the very dismissive reply suggested that the centre could not appear discriminatory against the individual by advising parents, for it was imperative that they retained his right to confidentiality,” she wrote.

“Well, what about the right of our children to attend a childcare safely … what about the right of parents to make an informed decision around removing their child from a centre if there is a report made?

“How dare these centres make those choices for us, hiding the truth and keeping us in the dark.

“When the childcare and the greater systems at large were meant to have checks and balances in place to prevent offending like this, 87 Australian girls are (allegedly) raped and sexually abused across 15 years of offending…”

The woman wrote that she had been made aware of how he created the circumstances in which he could commit the alleged abuse.

“How does one not question this? I certainly would not have been okay with him doing this if I had known,” she wrote.

“Indeed, one of the reasons why I chose this particular centre was because it was one big room with no hidey-holes.

“So many of the systems in place have profoundly failed us and our daughters.

“How can 91 little girls be (allegedly) raped by their childcare teacher and we still deny there is an issue here?

“We need to implement more educated policies around employing childcare workers, formulate better consistent procedures in managing the Blue Card status and criminal history checks.

“We need to educate more staff and parents alike on what a predator’s grooming behaviour can look like.”

To the parents of the other children allegedly abused by the man, she wrote: “You are not alone.

“I want to say, ‘I see you’. It might feel like the world is falling apart right now, and perhaps it is, but trust me, it will get better.

“Life will move on as we heal, as our daughters heal and find solace in our communities.

“From this dark night of the soul moment for all of us, we will be rebirthed in the flames as ever stronger and courageous beings willing to fight for change for our kids.

“It’s up to us to advocate for them. The power is in our hands.”