Alleged Melbourne Paedophile Worked at 24 Childcare Centres Amid Police STI Testing

Alleged Melbourne paedophile Joshua Dale Brown has been found to have worked at a total of 24 childcare centres, including four additional centres recently identified by authorities, complicating the investigation into his offending. This expansion in his employment history has led health authorities to recommend that about 800 more children undergo testing for sexually transmitted infections, with the possibility of even more testing in the coming weeks. The inaccuracies in Brown's employment records have caused significant challenges for investigators and heightened anxiety among affected families. In response, Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has called for the creation of a national database of childcare workers and their employment histories, allowing authorities to quickly track workers' movements between centres and enhance child safety. The Victorian government is concurrently developing its own childcare worker registration system and enforcing a federal ban on personal devices at childcare centres to improve oversight. These developments underscore the urgent need for systemic reforms in childcare worker monitoring to prevent similar cases in the future.