Additional charges may be filed against a Melbourne childcare worker already facing more than 70 serious offences related to the alleged abuse of young children, a court has heard.
Joshua Dale Brown, 26, was arrested in May and charged with a range of offences including sexual activity in the presence of a child under 16, sexual assault of a child under 16, and possession of child abuse material. He has not yet entered pleas to any of the charges and remains in custody.
Mr Brown was initially scheduled to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on September 15. However, during a brief hearing on Tuesday, prosecutors requested an extension to prepare the hand-up brief of evidence.
High-profile barrister Rishi Nathwani KC appeared on behalf of Mr Brown. He did not oppose the request and described the supporting affidavit submitted by police as “helpful and detailed,” highlighting the extensive investigatory work that remains.
Mr Nathwani also noted that the detective leading the investigation indicated there could be further charges or amendments to the current ones.
During the hearing, Mr Nathwani opposed a media request to access the charge sheets, arguing that the charges were still “in flux” and releasing them would be “unfair” and detrimental to the principles of natural justice.
However, Magistrate Donna Bakos rejected the objection, stating there was no sufficient basis to keep the documents from the public.
Mr Brown’s case became public on July 1 after a suppression order was lifted. Authorities allege he abused eight children between the ages of five months and two years.
Victoria Police have since revealed that Brown worked at 23 childcare centres across Melbourne from January 2017 to May 2025. As a precaution, they have urged parents and carers to have up to 2,000 children tested for sexually transmitted infections.
Police described the process of verifying Brown’s employment history as “extremely complex,” citing the lack of centralised records within the childcare sector.
Acting Commander of Crime Command, Janet Stevenson, reaffirmed the force’s commitment to the investigation, calling it their “highest priority.”
“We are working through a large amount of information,” she said. “I understand people may feel frustrated, but this is a rapidly evolving investigation. We encourage anyone impacted to seek support, and there are numerous services available.”
Mr Brown is next scheduled to appear in court in February. The investigation remains ongoing.