Full list of centres where David William James, accused paedophile, worked, as more abuse charges emerge
About 1200 letters have been sent to parents of children who attended the centres where the out-of-school care worker was employed.
The allegations relate to six centres and have raised fears more children could have been exposed to the childcare worker, who was employed at nearly 60 sites on a casual basis from 2021 to 2024, including at some of Sydney's most elite schools.
Australian Federal Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Brett James, who revealed the details of the case after a non-publication order was lifted, said the investigation had been victim-led.
'The victims and their families are our key priority,' he said.
Dubbed Operation Arctile, the AFP has published a how-to guide for concerned parents and a list of all the 58 centres where the alleged offender worked.
These include tips such as using age-appropriate language, self-reflection, empathy and active listening skills as well as providing a sample script.
SEE THE FULL LIST BELOW
The dates the man worked at the centres are on the
AFP website.
A hotline staffed from 7am to 7pm has been set up to provide further support for a week.
'First off, how to approach your child, and then what questions to ask, how to ask those questions and lead them into a conversation,' Mr James said.
'This is a really important piece for us.
'We are absolutely dedicated to protecting those young people and bringing those paedophiles to justice.'
The NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority said it had been cooperating with police since September 2024.
'Child safety is the authority's absolute priority,' a spokesperson told AAP.
'We take strong action when child safety has been compromised and will not hesitate to prohibit individuals from the sector, suspend or cancel service or provider approvals, including taking legal action for the most serious matters.
David William James, remanded in custody since October 2024, came to the attention of Australian Federal Police investigators after they found the material on the dark web, tracing it back to him in June 2024.
Digital forensic investigators were able to crack into the man's devices after he was initially charged over refusing to provide his passwords.
The 26-year-old was employed as a probationary constable but, after failing to pass his probation, continued in a civilian capacity until his resignation in May 2023.
NSW Police said they were unaware he was working in the childcare sector at the same time.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Full list of centres
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
16 hours ago
- Perth Now
AFP lays spying charges, China denies claims
China does not interfere with other countries, a state-controlled newspaper has claimed, after a woman was alleged to have been sent by Beijing to spy on a Canberra Buddhist group. The alleged agent, a permanent resident of Australia, is accused of covertly collecting information about an association banned in China, the Australian Federal Police said. The AFP alleges the woman, who is also an Australian permanent resident, was tasked by China's Public Security Bureau to covertly gather information about the Canberra branch of Guan Yin Citta, a Buddhist association. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said overnight his government was 'not familiar with the specifics' of the case. 'Let me say more that as a principle, China develops relations with other countries, including Australia, on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of others,' he said, as cited by the state-controlled Global Times. 'China never interferes in other countries' internal affairs, and, meanwhile, firmly opposes any disruption to the normal people-to-people interactions, exchanges, and co-operation between China and relevant countries under the pretext of foreign interference. 'China will follow this case closely and protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese nationals.' The Global Times is a mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP has a history of exerting its influence in Australia to keep the Chinese diaspora in line. Analysts have long warned of the party's efforts to undermine key industries and suppress free speech on university campuses, with Chinese students dobbing in fellow students who voice views that rub Beijing up the wrong way. The Albanese government, which has sought to gloss over touchy topics with China in the pursuit of better economic ties, has responded cautiously to news of the suspected agent in Canberra. Though, Foreign Minister Penny Wong has vowed the Albanese government 'will safeguard our democracy'. 'Our democracy is about who we are,' Senator Wong told the ABC on Tuesday. 'And that means we will stand together against any foreign interference. 'We have strong frameworks in place. 'We will not tolerate collectively, or as a government, Australians being harassed or surveilled. We will continue to safeguard the democracy.' On relations with Beijing, she said 'dialogue matters'. 'Dialogue is important. Dialogue enables us to manage difference, but it doesn't eliminate it,' Senator Wong said.
ABC News
21 hours ago
- ABC News
France arrests man who lit cigarette from flame at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
A man who stopped to light a cigarette from the fire at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe in France has been arrested. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said the man was taken into custody and "admitted the facts", calling his actions "indecent and pathetic". "The man who desecrated the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by lighting a cigarette with the memorial flame was arrested in Paris for violating a burial site, tomb, urn, or monument erected in memory of the dead," he wrote on social media. The video, which sees a man stooping and lighting up from the fire before walking calmly away while watched by tourists, caused indignation when it was widely shared on social media. The alleged infraction took place on Monday evening, local time, and the man was arrested on Tuesday afternoon, police told AFP. "You cannot ridicule French remembrance and get away with it," Patricia Miralles, minister for veterans and remembrance, wrote on X. The tomb, under the giant arch at the top of the iconic Champs-Élysées avenue, contains the remains of a soldier killed in World War I, laid there as a tribute to France's dead. "This flame does not light a cigarette, it burns for the sacrifice of millions of our soldiers," said Ms Miralles. "This is an insult to our dead, to our history and to our nation." AFP was not able to determine the origin of the video. Le Figaro newspaper reported that it was filmed by a Latvian tourist on the evening of August 4 and first posted on TikTok. The tourist told Figaro that the man did not appear drunk and seemed to be well aware of what he was doing. AFP
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Sky News AU
'Don't be stupid, confess to ASIO': Ex-Chinese spy calls out Beijing's Australian espionage efforts, welcomes recent arrest
An ex-Chinese spy has welcomed the arrest of an Australian woman for espionage-related offences as he called out Beijing's intelligence and foreign influence campaigns. On Monday, the Australian Federal Police announced a woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been arrested and charged with one count of reckless foreign interference. The woman, who is a permanent Australian resident, allegedly worked to "covertly gather information" about Canberra's Guan Yin Citta Buddhist association on behalf of China's Public Security Bureau. The Chinese Communist Party considers the Buddhist group, which also has members in mainland China, a cult. An ex-Chinese spy has welcomed the arrest of an Australian woman for espionage-related offences as he called out Beijing's intelligence and foreign influence campaigns. Picture: Getty Images In an exclusive interview with Sky News Australia's Cheng Lei, former Chinese spy, Eric, hailed the arrest, saying it was important Australian authorities worked to counter Beijing's efforts to gather intelligence and exert influence at the community level. "What I've noticed in this case is the change to taking action on a spy that's working in a Chinese community organisation, I think it may be the first time," he said. "We know the Chinese government has invested significantly in local community organisations in order to quash dissidents, but also to affect voting and politics. So investing in local communities to counter that is the right thing." Asked whether the woman was acting alone or as part of a larger network of spies, Eric suggested evidence provided by the AFP pointed to the former - although he also warned Beijing had likely established a "large" presence in Australia. On Monday, the Australian Federal Police announced a woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been arrested and charged with one count of reckless foreign interference. Picture: Supplied Commenting on the CCP's objectives more broadly, the former spy explained foreign agents had two main aims when conducting operations. "The CCP's spying in Australia takes place in two tracks. One is to quieten criticism against the Chinese government, to ensure its governance security, another is in geopolitics, that may include business, technology, military intel," he said. "China views Australia as important role in geopolitical terms, because we all know if there is military conflict between the US and China in the west pacific, Australia's location is critical. "So the CCP would invest a lot of resources to affect Australian politics and extract military secrets, to ensure Australia would remain neutral, or to defeat the US and Australia's allies." Eric added Chinese spies would work to "foster and develop agents over a long time" in order to avoid detection, including by offering financial incentives to those they believed had valuable information. Asked what any Australian resident being manipulated or approached by China should do, the former spy was unequivocal. "I would say, don't be stupid, first you may be arrested (the) Chinese government would never say 'you're our guys', forget it," he said. "China may start a war in the future, do you want to live in a war country? Don't be stupid, confess to ASIO or police if you are a spy."
