Authorities failed to act on a red flag raised about childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown two years before he was charged with horrifying sexual offences.
Premier Jacinta Allan stood alongside top police earlier this month to announce the 26-year-old had been charged with 70 offences she described as “shocking and distressing”.
They said Mr Brown was not previously known to police and had a valid Working with Children Check.
The ABC can now reveal that two reports had been made to Victoria’s Reportable Conduct Scheme about Mr Brown’s interaction with children at Point Cook’s Creative Gardens — the centre where he is alleged to have abused eight children.
Neither report related to allegations of sexual misconduct, and both were made after the alleged offending, but the first came more than two years before he was charged and had his Working with Children Check revoked.
Two reports had been made about Mr Brown’s interaction with children but no further action was taken at the time. (ABC News: Samantha Jonscher)
Childcare giant G8, which operates the centre, said it investigated and substantiated both of the reports.
A substantiated finding would typically trigger a review of the individual’s Working with Children Check.
But it is believed the Commission for Children and Young People, which oversees the Reportable Conduct Scheme, used discretionary powers not to escalate Mr Brown’s case as it was viewed as a lower-level incident, missing a key opportunity for authorities to review his clearance to work with children.
The commission declined to answer the ABC’s questions about its handling of the reports, referring to an ongoing police investigation.
“If an organisation finds their worker or volunteer has committed reportable conduct, the Commission must notify the Secretary to the Department of Government Services for the purposes of a WWC check review,” Acting Principal Children’s Commissioner Meena Singh said in a statement.
“Legislation allows for a referral not to be made, for example, where the nature and degree of the reportable conduct would be better addressed through training or supervision.”
In May, Mr Brown was charged with dozens of offences, including alleged sexual assault and producing child abuse material, relating to eight alleged victims aged five months to two years.
Sexual assault support lines:
- 1800 Respect National Helpline: 1800 737 732
- Lifeline (24-hour crisis line): 131 114
- Full Stop Australia: 1800 385 578
- Bravehearts: counselling and support for survivors of child sexual abuse: 1800 272 831
- Child Wise: counselling provider: 1800 991 099
Authorities took the rare step of publicly identifying Mr Brown as they urged families to come forward with information, and 1,200 children to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases.
Mr Brown worked at Creative Gardens between October 2021 and February 2024, with police alleging he offended against the children between April 2022 and January 2023.
The first report in April 2023 alleged Mr Brown “aggressively picked up and put down” a child and then failed to support the upset child.
An investigation by the childcare operator substantiated the allegation and Mr Brown was disciplined — issued with a formal written warning and a performance improvement plan. He took three months’ leave but returned to work at the centre.
The second investigation, in January 2024, alleged he raised his voice at three children and forcibly grabbed the arm of one, the leg of another and forcibly pulled off that child’s shoe.
G8 said the allegations were raised by a parent and that an investigation “substantiated all allegations”.
It suspended Mr Brown immediately after it received the allegations. He then resigned as the investigation continued and did not return to work with G8.
During an earlier press conference, Acting Commander Janet Stevenson said it was not believed Mr Brown had any prior complaints against him.
With no review of his Working with Children Check done, Mr Brown went on to work at 10 other centres, not owned by the same company, across Melbourne.
At a press conference on July 1, Victoria Police Acting Commander Janet Stevenson listed the childcare centres where Mr Brown had been employed, including the 10 where he worked after the reportable conduct notifications were made.
“We are not suggesting that the accused has offended against children in all these centres, but we’re encouraging anyone to come forward with any information to Crime Stoppers,” she said.
Asked whether Mr Brown could face additional charges, Acting Commander Stevenson said: “The investigation is ongoing, so I’m not sure where that will lead us at this point in time.”
All allegations taken ‘extremely seriously’
The ABC understands Creative Gardens reported Mr Brown’s conduct to the commission, the Department of Education and Victoria Police.
It raises questions about authorities’ knowledge of Mr Brown and concerns about his behaviour, having previously said he was “not known to police”.
“Part of our investigation will uncover any complaints that were made, but my understanding [is that] there were no formal complaints in relation to this individual,” Acting Commander Stevenson told a press conference on July 1.
Ms Allan added: “I do want to re-emphasise the points Victoria Police have made, that this alleged offender was not known to Victoria Police and did have a Working with Children Check.”
Mr Brown is alleged to have abused eight children at Point Cook’s Creative Gardens centre. (ABC News: Samantha Jonscher)
Asked about the apparent conflict between police having received the reports about Mr Brown and the public statements that he was not known to the force, Victoria Police said it had been “looking carefully at all [Mr] Brown’s history and any complaints that have been made about his behaviour”.
“We have made progress on this and continue to encourage parents or staff to contact Crime Stoppers if they are aware of any formal or informal complaints that have been made to the childcare centres or police,” a police spokesperson said.
The Department of Education said: “Due to an active police investigation, we cannot comment at this time.”
In a statement, G8 told the ABC it took “all allegations of this nature extremely seriously”.
“If we are informed of any allegations occurring at one of our centres, our team takes all appropriate steps to report and investigate, and if they are found to have occurred, disciplinary action follows,” G8 said.
Only after questions from the ABC, G8 issued a statement to parents that revealed the history of complaints against Mr Brown at the centre.
Safety system overwhelmed by rising allegations
Victoria’s Reportable Conduct Scheme was set up in 2017 in the wake of a damning inquiry into how abuse allegations were dealt with by religious and other non-government organisations.
The Commission for Children and Young People was tasked with overseeing the handling of allegations of reportable conduct, defined as sexual offences, sexual misconduct and physical violence committed against, with or in the presence of a child.
It also includes behaviour that causes significant emotional or psychological harm, or the significant neglect of a child.
An organisation, such as a childcare centre, must notify the commission within three days of becoming aware of a reportable allegation.
The organisation is then left to investigate the allegation itself, with guidance and oversight from the commission.
But the commission itself has publicly warned it is unable to provide thorough oversight of the vast majority of investigations.
During a press conference after Mr Brown’s arrest, Jacinta Allan said he was “not known” to police. (ABC News)
This practice has been criticised as a conflict of interest by some in child protection, amid concerns that the increasingly overwhelmed commission is unable to provide thorough oversight of the investigations undertaken.
The number of allegations made to the Reportable Conduct Scheme has exploded, jumping 30 per cent in the year to 2023-24, and 136 per cent since it began seven years earlier.
Reports related specifically to incidents in day care have also seen a steep rise, increasing 53 per cent to 438 in 2023-24.
The ABC understands the commission has lobbied the state government for more funding to match the rapid rise in reports, warning children were being put at risk, but has been repeatedly knocked back.
It has been forced to “significantly reduce” its scrutiny of investigations.
“The Commission has received no additional funding for the Scheme since it began in 2017,” its most recent annual report said.
“We will focus our limited resources on the cases of most obvious and serious risk to children, but are concerned that resource limitations are now impacting our ability to run the Scheme in a way that maximises child safety.”
The Victorian government has established a webpage with information for affected families. Information, including details of the government’s dedicated hotline, can be found here.
The Allan government is under increasing pressure to act, with the premier having promised to “take every action within our power to keep Victorian children safe”.
It did not respond to questions about why it had refused repeated requests to increase the scheme’s funding, but said it provided $14.2 million to the commission each year.
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