Point Cook man Joshua Brown was hit on Thursday with 83 additional charges, as police continued their investigation into his alleged sexual assaults at childcare centres across Melbourne's west.
The four new alleged child victims were placed at Nino Early Learning Adventures in Point Cook on March 26, 2019, Only About Children in Williamstown on December 1, 2020 and February 22, 2021 and Aussie Kindies Early Learning Centre in Keilor between February 3 and 11, 2025.
The new charges extend his alleged offending timeline from March 2019 to February 2025.
The charges include six counts of penetration of a child under 12, eight counts of producing child abuse material for use through a carriage service, seven counts of transmitting child abuse material and eight counts of sexual assault of a child under 16.
He also faces 12 charges of bestiality, which are unrelated to the childcare allegations.Â
The four children bring Brown's total alleged victims to 12. Their families have been notified and provided with support services.
Thursday's charges relate to the four additional alleged victims but also further charges linked to the initial eight alleged victims, police said.
There have been no new childcare centres identified in addition to the 23 where Brown had previously worked.
Affinity Education, which runs Aussie Kindies Early Learning Keilor, confirmed Brown's alleged offending involved one child at the centre.
"One incident is one too many. No child or family should ever have to face this," a spokeswoman said.
Nino Early Learning Adventures said the incident in March 2019 involved charges of recklessly causing injury and common assault at its Point Cook centre which it sold in 2024.
The incident was reported to authorities and thoroughly investigated, the provider said.
Only About Children said it was devastated by the allegations and was co-operating with authorities and relevant agencies.
Brown had previously been charged with more than 70 sexual abuse offences against eight alleged victims under two, prompting advice to parents of more than 2000 children to test them for infectious diseases.
He has been charged with 156 offences.
Victoria's Chief Health Officer has advised no children will require further testing as it has previously been recommended for the childcare centres involved.
Brown has been remanded in custody since May and will next face Melbourne Magistrates' Court on February 10.
Brown is accused of abusing children between April 2022 and January 2023 at G8-owned Creative Garden centre, in the southwest Melbourne suburb of Point Cook.
Authorities have previously said there were no known complaints against him but childcare giant Nido Early Learning has confirmed Brown was sacked while on probation after completing 18 shifts at a centre in Werribee, in Melbourne's west.
The shocking allegations have raised alarms about child safety in the early education system.
The federal government has fast-tracked regulations including reforms to strip childcare providers of their funding if they fail to meet quality, safety and compliance standards.
Early learning centres that breach child safety laws are being named and shamed on a public website.
Accusations have also been levelled at childcare workers in other states.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
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