A Sunbury childcare centre has been named following a police investigation into sexual assaults allegedly carried out by 26-year-old Mt Cook man Joshua Brown.
Police allege he carried out more than 70 offences against eight children who attended the Creative Gardens Early Learning Centre, Pt Cook, between April 2022 and January 2023.
However, Brown worked at Aussie Kindies Early Learning, Spavin Dr, for one week, from 13 August to 21 August 2024.
A spokesperson for Affinity Education Group said: “The safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is – and always will be – our highest priority.
“We are deeply distressed by the nature of the charges laid against the individual named in media reports. We are cooperating fully with authorities and stand ready to assist their investigation in any way required.”
Families can contact Victoria Police directly through their dedicated advice line on 1800 791 241 for further information.
Brown was arrested and charged on 12 May for various sexual offences involving children aged under 12, and under 16. He has remained in custody since that time. He is due to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 15 September 2025. A full list of childcare centres Brown worked at is here.
Since his arrest, a significant investigation has taken place led by detectives from the Sexual Crimes Squad assisted by specialist investigators.
It has been established Brown worked at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne between January 2017 and May 2025.
As part of the ongoing investigation, detectives are examining evidence of an allegation of offending at a childcare centre in Essendon.
Families who had children placed at the impacted centres during the time of the man’s employment are being contacted by the authorities.
Victorian premier Jacinta Allan issued a statement saying all childcare centres in the state are on notice they will be required to adopt a ban on personal devices by Friday 26 September. Childcare centres who don’t comply will have a ban imposed on them as a condition of license and may face fines up to $50,000.
“We will also commission an urgent review into childcare safety in Victoria,” she said. “We will start building the Victorian register to give families an extra layer of checks and balances as soon as possible.”
The review will report back to the Government on Friday 15 August.
Police state there is no evidence at this time to suggest any other staff member at any centre is involved in this matter.
Any families who may have additional information they wish to provide police are urged to contact Crime Stoppers in the first instance and this will be passed on directly to investigators.
