Grim similarities between accused Melbourne childcare predator Joshua Brown and pedophile Ashley Paul Griffith

Disturbing parallels have emerged between Joshua Brown’s alleged crimes and a Queensland childcare rapist who abused 73 victims.

Joshua Brown’s alleged abuse of kids in his care shares grim similarities with the case of one of Australia’s worst pedophiles.

Brisbane childcare predator Ashley Paul Griffith was last year handed a life sentence after he pleaded guilty to 307 offences stemming from the horrific abuse of 73 victims at 11 daycare centres over two decades.

Many of Griffith’s crimes were captured in disturbing videos and photos; offences Mr Brown is accused to have also committed.

Ashley Paul Griffith was last year handed a life sentence.

He pleaded guilty to 307 offences.

More than 4000 child abuse images and videos were found on his devices following a police raid on his Gold Coast home. Among the Queensland pedophile’s charges were 28 counts of rape and 190 counts of indecently treating a child in his care.

Judge Paul Smith described Griffith’s crimes as “abhorrent”, saying he was a brazen offender who showed no regard for his victims.

He slapped the depraved childcare worker with a non-parole period of 27 years, rather than the usual 15 years.

He is not eligible for parole until 2049.

“Some videos he took were brief whereas some victims he offended against for up to 30 minutes,” the Brisbane District Court judge said.

But the alarm was first raised about Griffiths 13 years before his arrest in 2022.

A Brisbane mother, who believed her son was also a victim of Griffith, said police dismissed her claims in 2009 and no investigation was launched.

“We tried so many years ago to make it known that Ashley Griffith is a dangerous pedophile – no one listened, no one cared,” she said.

His arrest and conviction sparked a review of the shocking crimes, including the police response and childcare centre practices and policies.

On Tuesday, Victoria’s Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn urged both the state and federal governments to establish and strengthen provisions for childcare workers across the country.

She said all childcare workers and staff across Australia should be held on a national registry.

“One of the areas … that I would like to see brought forward … is the national system of registration for workers,” she said.

“Teachers are already required to be registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching; educators are not.

“We did also commit to having another meeting in September to bring forward much of the workplan that in the view of jurisdictions, and I express this view myself, is moving too slow. There are things we are working with the Commonwealth on bringing forward so we can address these issues.”

Originally published as Grim similarities between accused Melbourne childcare predator Joshua Brown and pedophile Ashley Paul Griffith