A former childcare worker in Australia was identified this week as an alleged pedophile facing more than 1,600 charges of heinous crimes against children.
Ashley Paul Griffith, 45, from Queensland, has been charged with a staggering 1,623 sexual offenses in Brisbane, Sydney and overseas, including 136 counts of rape and 110 of having sex with a child under 10, it said TheAustralian.
Griffith’s alleged victims include 91 underage girls whom he allegedly raped and abused between 2007 and 2022, the outlet said.
He was eventually arrested after an eight-year investigation, which culminated in authorities identifying him based on sheets seen on the back of child sexual abuse material shared on the dark web, The Guardian reported.
Griffith was arrested by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in 2022, but his charges were detailed anonymously until Tuesday. Recently passed legislation in Australia allowed authorities to identify accused sex offenders after charges were publicly filed, The Australian explained.
Under previous law, defendants could not be named until they were officially awaiting trial due to concerns about “reputational damage,” the outlet said.
Ashley Paul Griffith was arrested in 2022 and faces more than 1,600 charges related to child sexual abuse.Handout
Griffith allegedly abused children at 10 nurseries in Brisbane, one in Sydney and another in Pisa, Italy, over a period of 15 years, the outlet noted, citing AFP.
Griffith allegedly recorded his abuse and then stored it in files, according to charging documents seen by The Australian.
At one point, he is believed to have raped two girls at a daycare more than 24 times each, the outlet said. He is also accused of abusing seven different girls in a single month, charging documents continue.
Authorities believe all 87 Australian victims recorded in the incriminating material have been identified and their parents informed, The Guardian said.
“Authorities have been working very closely with all relevant child care centers over the past year, and we thank them for their cooperation,” Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Justine Gough said of the ongoing investigation, according to ABC News. .
At the time of his arrest, Griffith was working as a nursery manager in Brisbane, The Australian said.
“I love engaging children in meaningful experiences that inspire their play and learning,” her now-deleted staff profile read. “Young children are natural investigators, exploring the world through their senses, searching for answers and building theories.”
Griffith began her career in childcare in Brisbane before moving to Pisa in 2013, the outlet noted. She reportedly returned to Australia in 2014 and returned to Brisbane in 2018 for “family reasons”, according to her profile.
Griffith was investigated by Queensland authorities in 2021 and 2022, but no charges were laid despite a colleague claiming she saw him kissing a child, The Australian explained.
Her child care credentials were not revoked during any of the investigations. He allegedly continued committing crimes until two months before he was arrested, court documents indicated.
As of Wednesday, Griffith has not entered a plea, according to The Guardian.
He is due to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on November 6.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn