
Leader's shock after childcare bombshell
A bombshell Herald Sun report revealed on Sunday that a man convicted of accessing nearly 1000 images of child abuse material visited multiple childcare centres while awaiting prosecution for some three years.
At one centre, he taught children about 'ancient tools such as boomerangs, stones and ochre clay' and 'Aboriginal dance and ochre painting' despite police flagging him as potentially dangerous.
The man, Ron Marks, was allowed to continue working with children because had not been charged.
Mr Littleproud, responding to the report on Sunday, called for 'common sense' changes to child safety in childcare. Nationals Leader David Littleproud has called for 'common sense' to guide changes to child safety in childcare centres. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia
'It's frightening, and as a father who sent his children to childcare, you do it in good faith that they're going to be safe,' he told the program.
'I get that we have this principle of presumption of innocence in this country, but we also have this thing called common sense.
'And if someone who's working with children is charged and you're not normally charged unless there's significant evidence, you still have that presumption.
'But you should take the precautionary principle and you shouldn't be allowed to go near children – that's common sense.'
Last week, detectives arrested and charged a 26-year-old Joshua Dale Brown with more than 70 offences, including child rape and possession of child abuse material.
He was a worker at a childcare centre and had a working with children check. Joshua Brown worked at multiple centres across Victoria, the police have revealed. Facebook Credit: Supplied Childcare worker Joshua Brown worked at the Point Cook childcare centre. NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia
Education Minister Jason Clare has vowed to introduce legislation that would let Canberra cut federal funds to childcare centres that 'aren't up to scratch' on children's safety.
'It has taken too long for governments to act,' he told Seven's Sunrise on Thursday.
'This is sickening and it demands serious action. We've already taken action around mobile phones in childcare centres and mandatory reporting.
'But there's more that we have to do – there's a lot more we have to do.'

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I thought his parents would want him to do the right thing but it seems their concern about not wanting to feel uncomfortable and not wanting to get involved in their son's personal matters are overriding that so f--k em,' one message read. Patterson told the jury she regrets the messages, but her defence noted they needed to be viewed in the proper context of a woman venting to her support network. Giving evidence, Simon told the jury they remained friendly and committed to co-parenting their two children but he first noticed a change in their relationship in late 2022. He said he believed this was after Patterson noticed he'd been listed as separated for the first time in his tax return and he understood the change to have financial implications. Simon Patterson was the first witness called in the trial. NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui Credit: News Corp Australia Patterson disagreed, saying while there was a change in the relationship, it occurred weeks later after Simon began to refuse to contribute to their children's schooling and medical costs. 'I wasn't upset, because him listing himself as single on his tax return meant I now have the opportunity to claim family tax benefit that I had been denied before,' she said. Simon said after the tax return, Patterson had filed a child support claim and he'd been instructed by authorities not to pay for things until a financial agreement was reached. Both agreed tensions had cooled down by the end of 2022 but their relationship became 'functional' after this point. She will return to court at a later date.