Around 1,200 families have been urged by the police in Australia to test their children for infectious diseases, as a child care worker in Melbourne was accused of several sexual harassment offenses against eight children.
26 -year -old Joshua Brown was accused of over 70 crimes, which attempted rape and possession of child rape and child sexual abuse materials, Victoria Police said statement Tuesday
“The most important thing for our investigators was that we needed to identify the victims involved in this,” said Janet Stevenson, acting commander of the Crime Command of Victoria Police. “These are some of the weakest members of our community and the conversation is with the police with their families, they have no doubt that life has to be changed in the worst way.”
Reuters/Australian Broadcasting Corporation 
Between April 2022 and January 2023, the allegations belong to the eight alleged victims of the One Child Care Center in the Melbourne suburb of Point Cook, but the authorities are afraid that more children may be affected. Brown worked in more than 20 child care centers in the region between 2017 and his arrest in May 2025, according to the police.
Detectives are investigating, “as a priority,” evidence of potential forward off crimes by Brown during his time at another child care center in the Melbourne suburb of Essendon.
State health officials said that overall, some 2,600 families whose children joined two institutions during Brown’s employment have been approached, in which the authorities recommended 1,200 children.
Victoria Chief Health Officer Christian McGrath said, “As a precaution, we are recommended that some children undergo tests for infectious diseases due to potential risk risk in that period.” News conference On Tuesday. “We believe this is a low risk, but we want to offer this to the parents to provide assurance about the health and goodness of our children.”
McGrath did not specify what diseases the Health Department recommended testing, but said they could be treated with antibiotics.
Police said they believe Brown worked alone, and only within the state of Victoria. He had a legitimate certification to work with children in the state, and was not known to the police before his arrest in May, detection that he had a child abuse material.
Top Victoria State official, premiere Jacinta Alan said statement On Tuesday that she was “ill with these allegations of abuse. She is shocking and harassing.”
“My heart breaks for families who are living the worst dreams of every parents,” he said. “As a parents, I can only imagine unbearable pain and feel affected families.”
Brown, who has been in custody since May and has so far been to file a petition on charges, is due to appearing in the Melbourne Magistrate Court on 15 September.
