It is alleged he abused eight toddlers and babies at Creative Gardens, recorded himself contaminating children’s food with bodily fluids and sent child abuse material to another man.
Loading
Brown was previously fired from at least three childcare centres but attracted little notice from regulators. When police raided his home in May, he still had a valid working with children check.
The Brown case plunged Australia’s childcare sector into crisis, as this masthead revealed safety complaints were ignored at the two main childcare chains where he worked, Affinity and G8. Both chains also initially led police investigating Brown on a wild goose chase by inadvertently handing over incorrect employment records – despite tracking their workers with a sophisticated GPS.
Police confirmed on Thursday that the employment history for Brown publicly available was now complete and accurate, but the investigation was ongoing.
Officers had been investigating suspected further offending at an Affinity-owned Papilio centre in Essendon where Brown worked right before his arrest, and which this masthead revealed had been on a government watch list months earlier. But the new charges do not relate to that centre.
Loading
An Affinity spokeswoman said the childcare chain was deeply distressed by the further charges, which she said included an alleged incident involving one child at its Keilor centre.
“No child or family should ever have to face this,” the spokeswoman said. “We are deeply sorry.”
Affinity owns the centre under the brand Aussie Kindies. It also owns the affected Nino Early Learning Adventures in Point Cook (now a Papilio centre), though it was acquired in December 2024, after the time of Brown’s alleged offending there.
The new charges
Six counts of penetration of a child under 12Eight counts of producing child abuse material for use through a carriage serviceTwenty-three counts of using a carriage service to transmit child abuse materialSeven counts of using a carriage service to solicit child abuse materialSeven counts of using a carriage service to cause child abuse material to be transmitted to selfTwo counts of sexual activity in the presence of a child under 16Eight counts of sexual assault of a child under 16Two counts of attempted sexual penetration of a child under 12Two counts of recklessly causing injuryTwo counts of common law assaultTwelve counts of bestialityReckless conduct endangering serious injuryEncouraging a child under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activityTwo counts of possessing drug of dependence
The fresh charges also now affect a third large childcare chain, Only About Children, which said on Thursday that it was devastated by the allegations.
A spokeswoman said the company was co-operating with authorities and was focused on supporting the children, families and staff affected, “and ensuring they have access to the information and assistance they need”.
In October, Affinity chief executive Tim Hickey and another top executive abruptly stepped down over recent safety scandals. An internal source confirmed the departures were related to this masthead’s reporting, including that Affinity had withheld evidence from detectives investigating Brown.
New CEO Glen Hurley was at Affinity’s affected Keilor centre on Thursday as staff and families were told of the new charges, and Affinity said external counselling was on offer.
G8, which owns the Creative Gardens centre where Brown was first accused of offending, said it was horrified by the distressing nature of the new charges.
Loading
In an ASX market update on Thursday, CEO Pejman Okhovat said G8 would continue to do everything in its power to give authorities the best chance of achieving justice for the children and families involved.
Brown is due to face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on a total of 156 charges on February 10.
Victorian opposition education spokesman Brad Rowswell said the distress, trauma and anguish of affected families would be felt across the entire state.
“This situation is every parent’s worst nightmare,” he said.
Our Breaking News Alert will notify you of significant breaking news when it happens. Get it here.
