Ashley Griffith, daycare predator, was accused 15 years ago of abusing boy

Australia’s worst pedophile, Ashley Paul Griffith, was accused 15 years ago of sexually abusing a little boy at a daycare centre in a complaint that was almost instantly dismissed by Queensland police.

Ashley Paul Griffith was jailed for at least 27 years last month. He was the subject of a complaint to police 15 years ago, it has now been revealed. Sketch: Brett Lethbridge

Australia’s worst pedophile, Ashley Paul Griffith, was accused 15 years ago of sexually abusing a little boy at a daycare centre in a complaint that was almost instantly dismissed by Queensland police.

The revelation that a mother reported Griffith in 2009 over the alleged sexual abuse of her son raises major new questions for police, who have never publicly acknowledged the complaint.

It was a lost opportunity to stop a serial child sex offender who went on to rape and assault dozens of girls in daycare centres in Queensland, Italy and, allegedly, NSW, and adds to previous concerns about the way police handled later complaints against Griffith.

All of Griffith’s other known victims were girls, and the development will raise fears his abuse of children could be far more widespread than currently known, strengthening the view of some victims that not all of his abuse has been detected.

In a heartbreaking statement provided to A Current Affair, the mother said her four-year-old son told her “Ashley hurt me” and went on to provide graphic details of sexual abuse. The incident had occurred two years earlier, when her son was just two.

“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,” she said.

“My four-year old son was placed in a room with two police officers, they did not build rapport with him, and he did not talk about anything of significance to police that would cause concern in those few brief minutes.

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

“We left the police station, feeling bewildered, disbelieved and possibly crazy. Our concerns were not raised by police with the childcare centre. There was no further follow up from police.

“I felt helpless, trying to navigate my way through therapy for myself and child for several years. I tried calling a different police station on another occasion, and the officer in charge dismissed my concerns, saying it sounded like a ‘rough nappy change’.”

She added: “The evidence of what he did to my son has not been found. 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.”

It is unclear why state and federal police have never previously disclosed the complaint publicly.

Queensland Police Service said in a statement that it received a report from a parent in 2009, and was contacted again by the parent following recent media reports about Griffith.

The matter had been referred to the Ethical Standards Command to further examine the response in 2009.

“As this matter is currently under investigation it would be inappropriate to comment further,” it added.

Complaints were made against Griffith to Queensland police over suspected abuse of girls in day­care in October 2021 and April 2022, but were dismissed. His ­offending was only uncovered in August 2022 after an unrelated federal police investigation.

Griffith, now 46, was last month jailed in the District Court in Brisbane for at least 27 years for his abuse of 65 girls in Queensland and four in Italy.

He now faces extradition to NSW for allegedly abusing dozens more girls at a single childcare centre in Sydney.

The majority of his known victims were abused after the boy’s mother went to Queensland police in 2009.

Queensland Family and Child Commissioner Luke Twyford has been appointed by Premier David Crisafulli to lead an inquiry into systemic failings to keep children safe in the state.

“We tried so many years ago to make it known that Ashley Griffith is a dangerous pedophile. No one listened. No one cared,” the mother said. “I am tired of carrying this unbearable truth, that our children are not safe … until something changes.”