Mum claims she reported serial pedophile Ashley Paul Griffith’s abuse 15 years before conviction

A mother says she reported serial pedophile Ashley Paul Griffith’s abuse of her son 15 years before the sick man was convicted, but claims Queensland Police brushed off her report as “a rough nappy change”.

The 46-year-old convicted serial pedophile was sentenced last month in Brisbane District Court.

A horrific new development in the case of Ashley Paul Griffith can be revealed after a mother, who reported his child abuse 15 years before his conviction, has come forward claiming police said “it sounded like a rough nappy change”.

The 46-year-old serial pedophile was sentenced last month in Brisbane District Court and will serve at least 27 years in jail for his abuse of 65 young children in Queensland and four in Italy.

The mother reported her then four-year-old son’s alleged abuse by Griffith to police in 2009 and says she is convinced there are more victims who remain unknown to them.

This allegation highlights potential victims of Griffith who may remain undetected, as videos of his abuse of children, that he uploaded to the dark web, showed all female victims.

In a tragic statement provided to A Current Affair, the mother said she endeavoured to make it known police that Griffith was a “dangerous pedophile” immediately after her son informed her.

The mother said her son, who was in Griffith’s care two years prior, described to her graphic claims of sexual abuse at the hand of Griffith.

The boy, who had attended a Brisbane child care centre, told his mother “Ashley hurt me”.

“When we eventually went to Queensland police to discuss our concerns and to let them know what our son had disclosed, I trusted that we would be taken ­seriously. That was far from reality,” the mother said.

“My four-year-old son was placed in a room with two police officers he did not know.

“We were then asked very few questions, and advised that there was nothing to warrant further investigation, and it was over.”

The mother said she left the station feeling “bewildered, disbelieved and possibly crazy”.

A court sketch of former childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith, named Australia's worst pedophile. Picture: NewsWire/ Brett Lethbridge

“Our concerns were not raised by police with the childcare centre … There was no further follow up from police,” the mother said.

She told A Current Affair that she felt helpless and tried calling another police station at a different time.

“The officer in charge dismissed my concerns, saying it sounded like a ‘rough nappy change’,” the mother said.

The suspected abuse of day care-aged girls by Griffith was reported to Queensland police in October 2021 and April 2022, but were dismissed, with his crimes only acted upon after an unrelated police investigation in August 2022.

A Queensland Police spokesman confirmed that the mother made a complaint in 2009 alleging “inappropriate touching by a childcare worker” and that no videos of her son were located in Griffith’s property.

“Detectives interviewed the male child who did not make disclosures of an offence to police,” a spokesman said.

The mother says she is confident her son isn’t the only victim to remain unconfirmed.

“I am grateful there were no images found, I am grateful my son was not identified as a victim, but I know he was harmed, and I am convinced there are more victims,” the mother said.

A Current Affair said Queensland Police had conducted a full audit of its investigations and found a total of three previous complaints made about Griffith.

The mother was referred to the Australian Federal Police, who arrested Griffith, and it was confirmed that no videos of her son were located in Griffith’s property.

The Australian Federal Police said it was “adamant” that all victims had been identified.

The incident is under further examination by the Ethical Standards Command.

A Queensland Police spokesman confirmed that the mother had made a report regarding her child’s abuse by Griffith in 2009.