logo
EXCLUSIVE Child is diagnosed with sexually transmitted disease after hundreds of toddlers had to be tested over links to alleged daycare monster - as cops prepare to lay even more charges against him

EXCLUSIVE Child is diagnosed with sexually transmitted disease after hundreds of toddlers had to be tested over links to alleged daycare monster - as cops prepare to lay even more charges against him

Daily Mail​6 days ago
A child who attended a daycare centre where a worker was subsequently charged with more than 70 child sex offences has been infected with a sexually transmitted disease.
Sources close to the investigation into childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown, 26, have revealed to Daily Mail Australia that a young child has since been diagnosed with gonorrhoea.
It is a disease that can affect various parts of the body, including the genitals, rectum, and throat.
In both males and females, infection is known to cause intense pain when urinating and is typically treated with antibiotics.
It is understood the child attended one of the Point Cook daycare facilities in Melbourne's west where Brown had been employed.
Brown worked at a total of 23 childcare centres over an eight-year period between January 2017 and May 2025.
The parents of 2,000 children have been urged by authorities to have them tested for infectious diseases after Brown's alleged offending was revealed on July 1.
Victorian Department of Health and Victoria Police refused to comment this week, but reiterated that they believe few children are at risk of being infected.
'Our Chief Health Officer last week stated: "…test results we've received to date as part of this investigation reaffirm that the risk is low",' a health department spokesman told Daily Mail Australia.
'This advice remains unchanged. We are unable to comment on an individual's private health information.'
On Tuesday, Brown fronted the Melbourne Magistrates' Court where the court heard Victorian detectives still face a mammoth task to finalise their case against the alleged child molester.
Brown has engaged top Melbourne barrister Rishi Nathwani KC to head his defence.
In attempting to have his client's charge sheets withheld from the media, Mr Nathwani revealed the case against his client remained very much 'in flux'.
An affidavit supplied by detectives to the court said the investigation was incomplete and needed more time to compile the final brief of evidence against Brown.
'Your honour has had the benefit of the affidavit which indicates that the police are working very hard,' Mr Nathwani said.
'There's quite a lot for them to get through and as a consequence your honour sees there's discussion there about potential further charges and I would say potential amendments, changes etc going forward (to the brief).
'So at this stage it's entirely premature, given how serious this is, and it could prejudice any future proceedings.
'I ask your honour to resist it, not grant it at this stage and revisit it once we have the full brief of evidence when matters are properly known and I anticipate a different summary, with more detail and potentially different charges.'
Mr Nathwani also referred to a suppression order granted for the Erin Patterson trial, who was found guilty of multiple murders just weeks ago.
'It's the same sort of situation,' he said.
'It says material that could influence a jury - if this matter gets to a jury - the court should in these rare circumstances intervene.'
While no formal application for a suppression order was made, the informal application to hide the charges from the public was opposed by the media on the grounds the court had a mandate to open justice.
Magistrate Donna Bakos agreed, telling Mr Nathwani the charges were a matter of public record.
'They're filed and ordinarily the press are granted access to charge sheets ... unless there is good reason, obviously, not to,' she said.
Ms Bakos granted the media access to the charge sheets, which are expected to be emailed to news outlets sometime on Tuesday afternoon.
The magistrate further allowed the prosecution to delay filing its final brief of evidence until December, with the next court date set for February next year.
Co-accused Michael Simon Wilson, 36, who also faces charges related to child abuse material, will reappear in court in November.
While the pair are known to each other, according to court documents, it remains unclear how Wilson is linked to Brown.
It is understood Wilson's alleged offending is not connected to childcare facilities or any of the children alleged to be victims in the other case.
Brown, from Point Cook, southwest of Melbourne, is facing charges including the sexual penetration of a child, producing child abuse material and recklessly contaminating goods to cause alarm or anxiety.
The alleged offending happened during his time at Creative Garden Early Learning Centre Point Cook, where he worked between October 2021 and February 2024.
In December 2021, Brown's partner posted a photo of the pair which featured the alleged paedophile grinning with pink and blue dyed hair.
Pictures also emerged of a tattooed Brown interacting with children at one of the 20 daycare centres where he worked.
Police are also investigating allegations of other offending at a childcare centre in Essendon.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said she was 'sickened by these allegations of abuse'.
Liberal Shadow Minister for Education in Victoria Jess Wilson has criticised the State Government's plan to conduct a rapid review into the childcare sector.
Victorian Children's Commissioner told the ABC the Brown case would not be part of that investigation.
'I think it's deeply troubling,' Ms Wilson told Melbourne's 3AW radio station.
Ms Wilson said the case must be included to understand broader systemic failures.
Brown has remained in custody since his arrest in mid-May.
His Point Cook home was raided by police shortly after an investigation was launched earlier that same month.
He was not known to police before his arrest and had a valid Working With Children Check, which has since been cancelled.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Union says insurers ‘bleeding the system dry' in backlash to NSW bid to limit workers compensation claims
Union says insurers ‘bleeding the system dry' in backlash to NSW bid to limit workers compensation claims

The Guardian

time3 hours ago

  • The Guardian

Union says insurers ‘bleeding the system dry' in backlash to NSW bid to limit workers compensation claims

The Minns Labor government is facing strong pushback against workers compensation changes designed to curb claims for psychological injury, with educators and the peak union group criticising the bill's failure to address underlying issues. The government wants to limit the ability of New South Wales's 4.5 million workers to claim compensation by raising the psychological injury threshold required for compensation and making it harder to receive lifetime payments. The NSW treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, has warned that the workers compensation scheme will become unsustainable without changes, noting premiums will need to rise by as much as 38% over the next four years. The government faces a $2.6bn shortfall in the Treasury Managed Fund which covers the cost of claims by state public servants. Sign up: AU Breaking News email But the vast majority of submissions to state parliamentary hearings on the changes oppose them, with many arguing the government needs to address other aspects of the scheme and prevent bullying, unreasonable work demands and other causes of psychological injury, rather than curtailing the ability of workers to claim. Unions NSW will tell the committee on Tuesday that the focus of the reforms should be on stopping insurance companies using workers compensation scheme funds to run cases with no reasonable chance of success. In its submission, Unions NSW said legal fees and investigations cost the scheme $332m annually, with minimal benefit to workers or employers. It gave the example of one case where an insurer spent $85,000 of public money to fight a $5,000 knee surgery that a worker's doctor said she needed. The tribunal ultimately approved the surgery. 'This inquiry has exposed the shocking waste happening right under our noses – $332m a year being spent on legal fees and investigations that achieve virtually nothing for workers or the scheme's sustainability,' the secretary of Unions NSW, Mark Morey, said. 'While politicians argue about fictional fraud epidemics, insurers are bleeding the system dry with impunity.' The inquiry has received hundreds of submissions from people who have experienced psychological injury at work and from professional groups representing legal professions, doctors, psychologists, employers and insurers. NSW Secondary Principals' Council – which represents more than 500 principals in public schools – expressed its strong opposition to the bill. Teachers have made an increased number of claims for psychological injury. 'While we acknowledge the government's intent to address systemic issues, we are deeply concerned that the proposed amendments fail to address the underlying causes of workplace injury – particularly those experienced by principals,' the council said. 'According to the Australian Catholic University's Riley Review (2023), over 50% of school leaders report serious threats of violence, with one in three experiencing physical assault,' the submission said. 'These risks are reinforced by the NSWSPC's own longitudinal data. The 2024 principal wellbeing survey found that nearly 1 in 4 principals (23%) reported experiencing a work-related psychological or physical health issue – including depression, PTSD, and anxiety,' it said. The Law Society said its position remains that the government should not proceed with the bill, which was 'introduced without adequate transparency and meaningful consultation'. Law firm Slater and Gordon said while it recognised the government's objective of restoring financial sustainability to the scheme, it should not be achieved through 'blunt eligibility restrictions, untested procedural models, and thresholds that will have the effect of excluding all but the most extreme cases'. Clubs NSW supported the change, saying in itssubmission that psychological injury were too readily accepted and paid. 'Clubs are regularly liable for injuries caused by reasonable management action like delivering performance feedback,' it said in its submission.

‘A huge human cost': Labor criticised over delays to aged care reforms as waitlist grows
‘A huge human cost': Labor criticised over delays to aged care reforms as waitlist grows

The Guardian

time10 hours ago

  • The Guardian

‘A huge human cost': Labor criticised over delays to aged care reforms as waitlist grows

Labor is facing a backlash over aged care services as a delay to landmark reforms prompts calls for urgent funding for 20,000 additional home packages and warnings that a two-speed system is locking out poorer elderly people. The Albanese government lost its first parliamentary vote of the new term on Monday afternoon, when the Senate voted to establish an inquiry into delays for home care packages, including unmet needs and the wellbeing of seniors waiting for assistance. Proposed by the ACT independent David Pocock, the vote was supported by the Greens and the Coalition, and comes after the aged care minister, Sam Rae, rejected calls to bring forward an additional 20,000 home care packages. Labor's reforms to the sector, originally slated to come into force from 1 July, have been pushed back to November, delaying the release of more than 80,000 home care packages. More than 87,000 elderly people are on the waitlist for care at home, with wait times up to 15 months. Labor has promised an end to lengthy delays by 2027, with maximum wait times of 90 days. Sign up: AU Breaking News email 'There is a huge human cost to delaying the release of more home care packages,' Pocock said. 'For some people that means being stuck in hospital longer because they can't get the support they need to return home safely. For others it means entering residential aged care earlier than they otherwise would have, others are struggling at home without the help they need.' The push follows warnings from the sector that Labor's changes risk squeezing out elderly people with limited financial means. Tracey Burton, chief executive of Uniting NSW and ACT, told Guardian Australia early this month equitable access for poorer Australians remains an unmet promise of changes passed by parliament last year. After a royal commission and a taskforce report to the federal government, Labor introduced new rules requiring wealthier people to pay more for their care and boosting access to support services for people who choose to stay in their own home. Residents who can afford to pay for their own care do so using a payment known as a refundable accommodation deposit (RAD). The average RAD is $470,000, with the lump sum refunded to family members when a resident dies. Elderly people whose care is paid for by the government rely on a supported accommodation supplement, worth $70 per day. The Greens aged care spokesperson, Penny Allman-Payne, is set to chair the Senate inquiry. She said the difference in value between RADs and supported placements, combined with a shortage of available residential beds and a rationing of home care packages, has led to fears of a two-tier system. 'You shouldn't have to be a millionaire just to guarantee care in your old age, but that's exactly what's at risk from Labor's new aged care system. 'Far from fixing the residential aged care system, Labor's changes coming this November mean wealthier homeowners may soon be worth twice as much in revenue to an aged care facility as an older person who lives week to week.' In a letter to crossbench MPs, Rae said the government acknowledged high demand for home care places, and said it was expected to continue up to November. But he rebuffed calls for bringing forward extra places. 'We also recognise that waiting to access a [home care package] has a real impact on older people and their families, as well as on the care providers. 'The Support at Home program is designed to bring down wait times for care and deliver more tailored support, giving older people the flexibility and choice to stay at home for longer.' Demand for aged care services is expected to surge, with the country on track for a doubling of people over 65 and a tripling of those aged over 85 within 40 years.

Aldi issues urgent recall over fears popular product contains GLASS
Aldi issues urgent recall over fears popular product contains GLASS

Daily Mail​

time11 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Aldi issues urgent recall over fears popular product contains GLASS

Aldi has issued an urgent recall for a popular product over fears shoppers could be injured if they try to consume it. The supermarket giant shared an alert for its Urban Eats Japanese Style Vegetable Gyoza on Monday. 'The recall is due to the presence of foreign matter - glass,' Food Standards Australia said. 'Food products containing glass may cause illness/ injury if consumed.' The affected products were sold in supermarkets in NSW, ACT, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. Customers who bought the gyozas were advised to check for the affected batch with the best before date March 27, 2027. 'Consumers should not eat this product,' FSA said. 'Consumers should return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund. 'Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice.' Aldi has established a Food Recall Hotline on 1800 709 993.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store