
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
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.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
19 hours ago
- The Sun
Weird swelling revealed first sign man's fingers and toes were ‘completely replaced' by cancer
A MAN developed painful swelling in one of his fingers and toes over the course of six weeks. It turned out to be a rare sign of cancer that had spread through his body - and the bones in his digits had been " completely replaced" by cancerous tumours. 2 Prior to swelling, the 55-year-old from Australia had been diagnosed with metastatic squamous-cell lung cancer. Squamous cell lung cancer is known for spreading to multiple sites, including the brain, spine and other bones, adrenal glands, and liver. It's a type of non-small cell cancer, the most common type of lung cancer, and accounts for roughly 80-85 per cent of all lung cancer cases. His case was published this month in The New England Journal of Medicine. Six weeks after noticing swelling in his right middle finger and his right big toe, the man went to his local hospital. Doctors found the tip of each was red and swollen, and an ulcer had formed near the nail of the affected toe. The swollen areas were firm to touch and tender, the doctors reported. Scans revealed his hand and foot contained "destructive lytic lesions that had completely replaced" the bones in the finger and toe. Lytic lesions are areas of bone destruction that appear as holes or weakened spots on imaging scans. While cancer that's spread to the fingers and toes may mimic gout on a physical examination, a scan called a radiograph can help identify lytic lesions, the patient's doctors noted. The man was diagnosed with acrometastasis - the rare occurrence of cancerous tumours metastasising to the bones of the hands or feet. Acrometastases account for about 0.1 per cent of all metastatic cancers, according to a 2021 review. In most cases, the condition is seen in patients who already have cancer. But in some instances, acrometastasis can be the first sign for undiagnosed cancers. It's most often linked to cancers of the lung, gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary tract. Acrometastases are seen more often in males than in females, according to the review. 2 And it tends to be rare, because in most cases, cancer cells are drawn to bone marrow, which is found in the long bones of the arms, legs, ribs, backbone, breastbone and pelvis. Finger and toe bones contain less bone marrow. Additionally, the further a bone is from the heart, the less blood it gets. Lower blood flow makes it harder for cancer cells to reach the fingertips or toes, so acrometastases happen less often there. Because acrometastases are usually seen in late-stage cancers, they're linked to poor survival rate. Treatments are typically focused on relieving a patient's pain and retaining as much function in the hand or foot as possible. In the 55-year-old's case, he was started on palliative radiotherapy, which aims to relieve symptoms rather than cure the disease. The doctors reports he died three weeks later from complications of refractory hypercalcemia - persistently high calcium levels in the blood that don't respond to standard treatments. Common symptoms of acrometastasis Acrometastasis, the spread of cancer to the bones of the hands or feet, can present with symptoms like pain, swelling, redness, and warmth in the affected area. These symptoms can mimic benign conditions like arthritis or infection, leading to potential diagnostic delays. Common symptoms include: Pain: Often deep-seated, intermittent, and may not be relieved by typical painkillers. Swelling: Can be localized to a specific digit or involve a larger area. Redness and warmth: May indicate an inflammatory process, but can also be a sign of acrometastasis. Tenderness: The affected area may be tender to the touch. Functional impairment: Difficulty using the hand or foot due to pain or swelling. Ulceration or bleeding: In some cases, the skin over the affected area may ulcerate or bleed. Palpable mass: A lump or mass may be felt in the affected digit.


Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The science-backed workout that makes men TALLER in just two months - and you can really see the difference
When Sydney estate lawyer Oliver Morrisey realised his job was starting to take both a physical and emotional toll, he knew he had to change up his fitness regimen. 'Years of courtrooms and being bent over a desk had pulled my shoulders down and smushed my back together,' Oliver says.


The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Australia's largest private hospital operator to close majority of psychology clinics to be ‘flexible, sustainable'
Ramsay Health Care, Australia's largest private hospital operator, has announced it will be closing the majority of its psychology clinics, described by the peak body as 'very sad news' for those needing mental health care. The hospital network said it would progressively close 17 out of its 20 clinics by the end of August, in order to transition Ramsay Psychology to a 'more flexible and sustainable model'. Three clinics in Cairns, Charlestown and Joondalup will remain open to 'support local needs, maintain key partnerships and pilot more integrated models of care', Ramsay Health Care said in a statement. 'We understand this change might be unsettling and we are working closely with our psychologists to ensure every client is supported and has continuity of care, whether through our existing and expanded Telehealth service or with another trusted provider, depending on what is clinically appropriate,' the statement said. Sign up: AU Breaking News email Ramsay's website states it is 'Australia's largest private provider of psychology services'. It has not yet become clear if the closures amount to significant job losses. The network lists 141 psychologists on the website's 'find a practitioner tool'. The company also provides psychology services through mental health clinics offering inpatient treatment and outpatient sessions and day programs, which Guardian Australia understands will not be affected. In November an Australia government review of the private hospital sector's financial viability highlighted that obstetrics and mental health were 'two particular services of concern' becoming 'increasingly difficult to offer'. The president of the Australian Association of Psychologists, Sahra O'Doherty, said 'the closure of these clinics is very sad news for anyone needing professional mental health care'. 'Given we learned today the National Mental Health Commission Report Card showed that 20% delay seeking mental health help because of cost, these closures mean accessing psychological care will be more challenging,' Doherty said. The report for 2024, released on Thursday, also found less than half (45.1%) of people who had a mental disorder in the last 12 months had seen a health professional for their mental health in the past year. The diminishing access to mental health services comes against the backdrop of shortages of psychiatrists in both the public and private sectors, with the high-profile dispute between NSW Health and the state's public psychiatrists highlighting the constraints on mental health care in public hospital settings.