Former Australian childcare worker pleads guilty to over 300 child abuse charges

Sydney, Australia, Sep 2 (EFE).- A former Australian childcare worker pleaded guilty on Monday to 307 counts of sexually abusing dozens of girls, including rape, at nurseries in Australia and Italy between 2003 and 2022.

The accused, Ashley Paul Griffith, 46, is believed to have committed these offenses across various locations in Australia and in Pisa, Italy, judicial sources in the Australian state of Queensland told EFE.

The indictment includes 28 counts of rape, 190 counts of indecent treatment of minors, and 67 counts of producing material for the sexual exploitation of minors, among other charges.

Griffith appeared in court on Monday in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. He will remain in custody until his next hearing on September 9, which is one of the final steps before his conviction and sentencing, the sources added.

Several victims and their families attended the emotional hearing in Brisbane, where many parents broke down in tears as the names of the victims were read out, Australian public broadcaster ABC reported.

One parent of a girl abused by Griffith, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, expressed disbelief that the accused had gone undetected for so long. The girl’s father added that his daughter is not yet aware of the abuse, so he and his wife will need to explain what happened and manage the impact on her life.

“As she grows up, we will deal with that as it comes but it is going to be something we deal with through our lives now,” the child’s father said. “It was good that (he pleaded guilty) and we can move onto the next step now.”

Griffith was arrested by Australian police in August 2022 and initially charged with offenses related to the possession of child sexual exploitation material.

However, after searching his electronic devices, authorities charged him with over 1,000 child abuse offenses, including rape. Hundreds of these charges were later dropped, reducing the total to 307.

Under Queensland law, the maximum penalty for rape is life imprisonment. EFE

wat-ssk