Latest news with #paedophile
The Guardian
16 hours ago
- The Guardian
Alleged childcare paedophile Joshua Dale Brown likely to face more charges, court told
Alleged childcare paedophile Joshua Dale Brown is likely to face extra charges with a court today granting police more time to investigate him. Brown's next court appearance of has now been pushed into 2026, with police requesting the magistrates court allow more time to compile evidence against him. Magistrate Donna Bakos on Tuesday granted an application by police to extend the deadline to provide the hand up brief of evidence to Brown's lawyers to 4 December. The matter will then return to court for a committal mention on 10 February. An extension was also provided in the matter of Brown's co-accused, Michael Simon Wilson, who will next appear in court for a committal mention on 15 November. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The accused men, who are both remanded in custody, were not required to appear in court for the brief administrative hearing. The court heard an affidavit in support of the extension argued the investigation into the duo was ongoing. Brown's lawyer, Rishi Nathwani KC, said the affidavit also flagged the potential for 'additional charges'. Nathwani said charges against his client 'are in flux', with police now following a 'vast number of other avenues that have now become apparent'. He asked Bakos not to release the full list of charges to media in light of this, saying it would be 'premature' and 'hinder the realisation of natural justice'. However, Bakos disagreed and said she would release the charges later today to ensure fair and accurate reporting of the matter. Brown, 26, was charged in May with more than 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims aged between five months and two years old. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion They include sexual penetration of a child under 12, attempted sexual penetration of a child under 12, sexual assault of a child under 16 and producing child abuse material for use through a carriage service. His case was only made public on 1 July after a suppression order was lifted. Wilson, 46, meanwhile, faces 45 charges including possessing child abuse material and rape and bestiality. It is understood Wilson's alleged offending is not connected to childcare facilities or any of the children alleged to be victims in the Brown case. Both cases are in their early stages and neither Brown nor Wilson are yet to enter a plea.
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Kent paedophile who paid £56k for child abuse images jailed
A "dangerous paedophile" who sent almost £56,000 to the Philippines to pay for livestreamed sexual abuse of children has been jailed for 30 years. Patrick Howlett, from Kent, was arrested in July 2021 after National Crime Agency (NCA) officers found a total of 14,311 illegal images, amassed over nearly two decades, on his electronic between 2014 and his arrest the 58-year-old had also made around 800 separate financial transactions to obtain extreme material, including paying one Filipino woman thousands to abuse her own young children. The judge at Canterbury Crown Court described Howlett as showing "a breath-taking lack of regard for the sanctity of childhood". Sentenced on Friday, he will also be subjected to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). Investigators discovered Howlett would contact other offenders using online messaging platforms and share abuse images through Dropbox. The NCA found 1,277 images were of a single victim who had been continually sexually abused for years at Howlett's than 5,000 of the total 14,311 images discovered on Howlett's devices were assessed by NCA investigators to have been created exclusively for time, while requesting abuse videos of a nine-year-old girl, he even bemoaned being unable to watch livestreamed footage due to the fact he was at work. NCA investigators said Howlett's cache of images had been created from 2003 up until his 2021 arrest. They have also been working closely with law enforcement in the Philippines who are carrying out their own investigation into those Howlett was in contact children identified as having been abused as a result of the offending have now been safeguarded. Adam Priestley, unit head of CSA investigations at the NCA, said: "Patrick Howlett is a dangerous paedophile who has offended for many years."The NCA will continue to pursue those who pose a significant sexual risk to children and fuel their continued abuse."
The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
Victoria to establish state register of childcare workers within weeks, Jacinta Allan says
Victoria's premier has said childcare regulations have 'not worked' and vowed the state's register of childcare workers will be established within weeks, after reports that alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown was sacked from multiple centres. Jacinta Allan on Monday said there was a need to strengthen both state and federal regulations governing the sector. 'There has clearly been systems that have not worked,' she said. Wallaby Childcare became the latest centre to confirm it had terminated Brown's employment during his probation period after he worked at its Sanctuary Lakes Centre for five weeks between April and May 2021, with a spokesperson citing that he 'did not align with our company standards or values'. It comes after Nido Early School last week said it had sacked Brown after just 18 days at its Werribee centre in July 2021, after he allegedly breached the company's internal policies around the handling of incident reports. There is no allegation that Brown offended against children while working for Wallaby or Nido. D.O.T.S Occupational Therapy for Children in Footscray also sacked Brown after 26 days working with its non-clinical admin team in March 2024 because 'he was not a good fit', its program director confirmed earlier this month. Meanwhile, allegations that Brown 'forcibly' grabbed children while working for major childcare provider, G8 Education, were reported to Victoria police, the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) and the education department in 2023 and 2024. But the agencies referred the matter back to G8 Education for internal investigation and disciplinary action. The company substantiated both allegations. Typically, such finding would trigger a working with children check review but the ABC on Saturday reported the CCYP used discretionary powers not to escalate Brown's case, allowing him to continue working in childcare. Allan refused to comment on the specifics of Brown's case or the 'decision taken by the independent regulator'. But she said working with children's checks would be included in the review into the childcare sector, led by former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill and senior bureaucrat Pamela White. The premier also confirmed a state-based childcare worker register, announced after Brown's charges became public earlier this month, would be established by the end of August. It will eventually be absorbed into a national register, which federal education minister, Jason Clare, committed to last week. 'This is just a common sense measure. Yes, it should have been in place already … it's been a discussion for some time now at a national, federal–state ministers level,' Allan said. 'We're acting to bring this about immediately … and there is more work that needs to be done. There are systems that need to be strengthened. I absolutely acknowledge that.' She also reiterated the government would accept all recommendations of the Weatherill and White review, due back on 15 August. 'I want to be clear that if there is more action to be taken to keep children safe, then we will absolutely take it,' Allan said. Brown, 26, was charged in May with more than 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims aged between five months and two years old. His case was only made public on 1 July after a suppression order was lifted. The criminal case is in its early stages and he has yet to enter a plea. Since then, police have established Brown worked at 23 childcare centres and the occupational therapy service and urged more than 2,000 children be tested for sexually transmitted infections. Police have said establishing Brown's complete work history had been 'extremely complex' as childcare providers do not have centralised records. They warned 'further updates are likely in the coming weeks'.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Prince Andrew WAS asked to contribute to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday album by Ghislaine Maxwell, insider claims
Prince Andrew was personally asked to contribute a message to billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein 's 50th birthday album, an insider has claimed. The Duke of York, 65, was allegedly approached by longtime friend Maxwell to write a personal message for Epstein's milestone birthday in 2003, a project the British socialite is said to have spent over a year orchestrating. He was convicted of sex crimes a few years later, in 2008. Maxwell, now 63 and serving a 20-year sentence in a US prison for trafficking underage girls, is believed to have asked Epstein's circle of powerful and wealthy friends to submit written tributes. According to US investigators, the album - described as 'gold-embossed' and bound in leather - was later recovered by the Department of Justice during a probe into Epstein's sordid network. A US source told the Sunday People: 'Ghislaine was the driving force behind the birthday tributes. 'She wanted it to be a who's who of Epstein's inner circle, and she leaned on a lot of people to write something. It wasn't just casual greetings. Ghislaine wanted messages that were personal, meaningful.' 'Jeffrey… always saw Andrew as the pinnacle of his pals, and Ghislaine made sure he was asked to contribute. 'She framed it as a celebration of Jeffrey's brilliance, his generosity, his supposed unique mind. She made it sound like an honour to be included.' It is not known whether Prince Andrew did ultimately send a message. However, his close relationship with Epstein, a friendship he has faced intense scrutiny over in recent years, was already well established at the time. Andrew was first introduced to Epstein by Maxwell in 1999 and subsequently visited the disgraced financier at his homes in New York, Palm Beach, and the US Virgin Islands. Epstein was also hosted by the Prince at royal residences including Balmoral, Windsor Castle, Sandringham, and Royal Ascot. The Duke has consistently denied any knowledge of Epstein's crimes, which became public in 2006. In 2008, Epstein was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution. He died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting federal sex trafficking charges. Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked by Epstein as a teenager, alleged in a 2014 court filing that she had been forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions - allegations the Prince has 'vehemently' denied. In 2022, he reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre reportedly worth £12million, while maintaining his innocence and stating he had no recollection of meeting her. Giuffre died by suicide in Australia earlier this year, aged 41. The existence of the birthday album first emerged after claims that Donald Trump had contributed a handwritten note to Epstein in 2003. According to The Wall Street Journal, the letter included a crude drawing of a naked woman and a signature allegedly stylised to resemble pubic hair. The message reportedly read: 'A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday - and may every day be another wonderful secret,' and added, 'We have certain things in common, Jeffrey.' Trump has furiously denied the report and is now suing The Wall Street Journal for a staggering $10billion (£7.46billion), branding the story 'fake'. He told reporters: 'I don't draw pictures of women. It's not my language, it's not my words.' The former US President's ties to Epstein have long been under the spotlight. In a 2002 interview, Trump remarked: 'He's a lot of fun to be with… he liked beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.' Trump has since said he distanced himself from Epstein well before the financier's crimes became public. Meanwhile, The Mail on Sunday has revealed that former US President Bill Clinton also contributed a 'warm and gushing' letter to the birthday book. The message, embossed with 'From the desk of William Jefferson Clinton', was included among hundreds of tributes from elite figures Maxwell is said to have courted for over a year.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Queensland premier commits to state becoming 'nation leader' in child safety
The latest disturbing allegations involving workers at Queensland childcare centres have authorities rushing to reassure parents of their commitment to keeping children safe. On Thursday, a 21-year-old man was charged with the indecent treatment of a four-year-old at a Brisbane childcare centre. In a separate matter on Thursday, a convicted child sex offender faced court for failing to tell authorities he was doing maintenance and gardening work at a south-east Queensland childcare centre where his wife was a director. They are the latest in a string of allegations involving childcare facilities across Australia's eastern states. In Victoria last month, authorities recommended thousands of children have precautionary testing for sexually transmitted diseases following dozens of allegations made against Melbourne childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown. Last year in Queensland, one of Australia's worst paedophiles, Ashley Paul Griffith, was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to more than 300 charges. A commission of inquiry into the child safety system in Queensland will begin next week. Commissioner Paul Anastassiou KC is tasked with analysing the system and recommending practical reforms. Not due to report back till November 2026, the state government has assured it will implement interim measures in that time to improve the sector. The state and federal governments are in lock step regarding the need to take urgent action. One of the first pieces of legislation to be introduced to parliament next week by the re-elected Albanese government will be to cut funding to childcare centres that flout regulations. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare told the ABC's Afternoon Briefing this week that the proposed laws would give the government the power to issue a condition to a centre that does not meet the standards that may lead to the centre's funding being suspended or cancelled. "And there's nothing more important in running a childcare centre than the taxpayer funding that runs it — it's about 70 per cent of the funding that runs a childcare centre — it can't run without it," Mr Clare said. Mr Clare will meet with his state counterparts in Canberra next month. Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said on Thursday he would be pushing for a national register of childcare workers. Mr Clare has indicated his support for "a database" that details a person's work history. "The company responsible here should know this at the click of a button. But so should we," he said. "This shouldn't be the sort of information that comes out in drip-feed form, it should be information that's easy to access quickly." In response to the allegations made against the 21-year-old Brisbane childcare worker, the state government noted it was fast-tracking a new reportable conduct scheme. Rolling out from July next year, it will require organisations to report and investigate concerns of harm to children. A recommendation of the 2017 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, it aims to improve how centres handle complaints and allegations of harm. A review into Queensland's working with children check, the Blue Card system, is also ongoing. A pre-election commitment from the LNP, it uses Ashley Paul Griffith's offending as a case study to identify and improve systemic failings. Premier David Crisafulli said he was determined for Queensland to be a "national leader" in child safety. "The issue in childcare centres won't be solved overnight," he said on Thursday. "It's confronting, what is occurring. "We are not going to have a situation where monsters can lurk in centres where our most vulnerable and most precious asset, our children, go every day."
