Melbourne childcare worker charged with more than 70 offences, including child rape

A man who worked at a number of childcare centres across Melbourne has been charged with more than 70 offences, including child rape.

The Health Department is recommending that about 1200 children undergo testing for infectious diseases in the wake of the allegations.

Joshua Dale Brown, a 26-year-old man from Point Cook, was arrested on May 12 and charged with the offences relating to eight alleged victims, Victoria Police said on Tuesday.

The alleged victims attended a Point Cook childcare centre between April 2022 and January 2023, police said.

All eight alleged victims’ families were notified and, since Brown’s arrest, sexual crimes squad detectives have led a significant investigation into Brown, police said.

Brown worked at 20 childcare centres between January 2017 and May 2025, including in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Detectives were also looking into an allegation Brown committed further offending at a second childcare centre in Essendon, police said.

“This matter is being investigated as a priority,” Victoria Police said.

The Health Department contacted about 2600 families, parents, children and carers of children in the wake of the allegations, and is recommending about 1200 children undergo testing for infectious diseases, Chief Health Officer Christian McGrath said on Tuesday.

Brown was not known to police before officers raided his home and later charged him, Victoria Police crime command Acting Commander Janet Stevenson told reporters on Tuesday.

He had a valid working with children check, which has since been cancelled.

Premier Jacinta Allan became emotional as she said she was “sickened” by the allegations on Tuesday.

Police were working with several government departments, along with the Royal Children’s Hospital, to support families, as they contacted those whose children attended “impacted centres”.

Brown is alleged to have committed all his offending in Victoria, police said. There was no evidence to suggest any of his colleagues were involved.

“Last week, we notified eight families that we had charged Brown with sexually offending against their children. As you could imagine, this was deeply distressing for the families to hear,” Stevenson said.

Brown’s charges included sexually penetrating a child under 12 years’ of age, attempting to sexually penetrate a child aged under 12, sexually assaulting a child under 16, producing child abuse material and transmitting child abuse material, police said.

Brown was remanded in custody and is due to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on September 15.

The Victorian government has set up a dedicated website for families affected by the investigation. Police have urged anyone with more information to contact Crime Stoppers.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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