A police investigation has revealed a disturbing pattern in the employment of 26-year-old Joshua Dale Brown, a children’s care worker. He’s been charged with more than 70 offenses with eight known victims at several childcare centers. The investigation was launched in response to widespread abuse disclosures. It found that Brown had been employed at 23 childcare facilities between January 2017 and May 2025, exposing gaps and inconsistencies in his employment record.
Brown’s alleged offenses are grave and include children differing ages from five months old to two years old. This has created a great deal of worry for both students and officials. Using this new information, the health department has reached out to about 830 additional families. They plan to call for testing for sexually transmitted infections for 800 children who may have been in direct contact with Brown.
Investigators from the sexual offenses unit stated they were able to append four additional centers to Brown’s employment history. This makes the maximum total 23. Police believe he could have been employed at as many as ten other childcare facilities. Confusing records further muddy the waters on his overall employment tenure.
Law enforcement investigators characterized the task of determining Brown’s full employment history as “very complicated.” Without centralised records, it’s been a struggle for them to investigate. Brown’s employment history has been difficult to pin down. Investigators are speaking with witnesses to confirm information on Brown’s work history. In addition, they’re reviewing over 270 tips filed via Crimestoppers.
It led to almost 2,600 families with children who once attended the centres in which Brown had worked being notified about the incident and the potential risk of exposure. The health department responded appropriately by notifying as many as 1,200 affected families to seek screening for sexually transmitted infections. It was in response to troubling conduct undertaken by Brown.
“We are working through a large amount of information that has been provided to us,” a spokesperson for Victoria Police stated. “Each piece of information has to be individually assessed and verified before it can be used as part of the investigation or released to the public.”
Local police stressed that this investigation continues to be a priority. “I want to reinforce that this is a continually evolving and changing situation. What hasn’t changed is that this investigation remains the highest priority for Victoria Police,” they added.
In response to fears about possible adverse health effects, Dr. Christian McGrath played a vital role in reassuring families. “This is obviously a highly distressing situation, and I want to reassure all families being contacted that the potential exposure risk to an infectious disease for their child remains low,” he stated. “Our recommendation for testing is a precaution and the test results we’ve received to date as part of this investigation reaffirm that the risk is low.”
Affinity Education Group, which operates dozens of the targeted childcare centres, said they understood families’ concern for their children placed in this terrible predicament. They recognized the emotional impact and very human apology “for the emotional distress this is causing.”
As this case unfolds, both parents and authorities remain vigilant in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children in childcare settings.