‘Unfathomable’: Man charged with 1623 child abuse charges

A former childcare worker who allegedly assaulted 91 children across two Australian states and an overseas country has been charged.

A former childcare worker who allegedly assaulted 91 children across two Australian states has been charged.

The 45-year-old Gold Coast man has been charged with 1623 child abuse offences, including 136 charges of raping pre-pubescent girls.

The alleged offences relate to 87 children in Australia and four overseas, and includes 110 counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 10.

Police allege the man carried out the offences at 10 childcare centres in Brisbane between 2007-13 and 2018-22.

The man is further alleged to have carried out offences at a single Sydney centre between 2014-2017, as well as overseas between 2013-14.

Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Justine Gough said the man allegedly recorded the offending on his phone and on camera.

She described the alleged offences which all involved pre-prepubescent girls on Tuesday as “unfathomable” and “chilling news”.

“We are highly confident that all 87 Australian children who were recorded in the alleged child abuse material have been identified,” she said.

“The parents of all the Australian children recorded in the alleged child abuse material have been informed of the investigation.

“Some of the individuals identified in the alleged child abuse material are now aged over 18 years and have been informed.”

Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Justine Gough described the alleged offences on Tuesday as “unfathomable”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Assistant Commissioner Gough said officers were still working with overseas law enforcement to determine the identity of four more children.

Police allege the four children were offended at an overseas location but decline to specify where while investigations continued.

The man has been in custody since August 2022 when AFP charged him with two counts of making child exploitation material.

The 45-year-old was also charged with a single count of using a carriage service for child pornography material.

Following the arrest, AFP allege further self-produced child abuse material was identified on electronic devices owned by the man.

In total, police allege the man had nearly 4000 child abuse images and videos stored on his camera and phone.

“The genesis of Operation Tenterfield is linked to police locating alleged child abuse images and videos on the dark web in 2014,” she said.

“Queensland Police posted them on an international victim identification database seeking assistance from the global victim community.

“The AFP and other agencies examined the images, but they contain a few distinguishable clues for investigators to follow.”

In August 2022, AFP were able to track trace objects identified in the background of the alleged images and videos posted on the dark web.

The images, which were posted between 2013-14, led police to a Brisbane child care centre while also raiding the man’s home.

Evidence collected there allegedly led police to also identify victims across the border in NSW.

NSW Police Force Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald said police had obtained a warrant for offences allegedly committed in the state.

“That warrant relates to 180 charges of child sexual abuse, and 23 victims are a part of those charges,” he said.

“Those charges carry life imprisonment. Once this man faces the AFP charges here in Queensland, we will be seeking his extradition.

NSW Police Force Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald. Picture: Supplied

“This is one of the most horrific child abuse cases that I‘ve seen in nearly 40 years of policing.

“We are absolutely committed to prosecuting anyone who comes after our most vulnerable.”

Assistant Commissioner Gough said the man had received “qualifications to work at the child care centres” in NSW and QLD.

She claimed the AFP had not received any reports from parents or child care centres of the offending prior to the man’s arrest in August 2022.

“The AFP had no information from parents or any other person prior to this man being arrested and charged,” Ms Gould said.

Queensland Police Service Acting Assistant Commissioner Col Briggs said the QPD had itself recieved reports in 2021 and 2022.

“Both reports were subject to investigation,” he said.

“However, there was insufficient evidence to take action against any person based on the evidence available to investigators at that time.

“Following the arrest of the offender in these matters, an internal review was conducted into both investigations.

“This review confirmed that the matters were appropriately investigated that there was insufficient evidence available to investigators to take action against any person that their time and they were conducted in accordance with QPS policy.”

They confirmed they believed all of the alleged victims had been identified and did not expect further charges to be laid.

Queensland Police Detective Superintendent Col Briggs. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

“We have been working tirelessly since August last year to identify the children in the alleged child abuse material,” Ms Gough said.

“The man worked at other childcare centre, but the AFP is highly confident the man did not allegedly offend at those centres.

“Law enforcement has been working very closely with all the childcare centres for the past year, and we thank them for their cooperation.”

The alleged offending was met with an outpouring of chock on behalf of police agencies who worked together in the investigation.

They described the “tireless” work of police to not only bring the charges to court, but to also identify the victims in the video.

NSW Police Force Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald said police there did not intend toe make any of the 23 victims appear in court.

“Its beyond the realms of anyone’s imagination what this person did to these children,” he said.

“I can only say that you try not to be shocked after a long period of time in the police and crime reporting but this is a horrific, horrific case.

“I like to thank the AFP and the Queensland Police for bringing this information the NSW Police so our victims can get justice.”

NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman, who held a press conference shortly after the news broke, called child abuse an “endemic issue”.

“You can‘t think of a worse crime than child abuse,” he said.

“It’s sadly been something that’s been endemic for decades in NSW, as we saw with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses.

“I can‘t comment on the specifics of this case at the moment. I haven’t seen the reports.”

Police confirmed the man has been custody since August 2022 and will remain so before appearing before a Brisbane court later this month.