SYDNEY CHILDCARE WORKER CHARGED WITH 329 CHILD ABUSE OFFENCES

A Sydney childcare worker has been charged with 329 offences following allegations of child abuse spanning 16 years. Hamish Tait, 35, was arrested in July last year but his identity remained sealed until Monday, when a court order was lifted. The charges include 162 counts of producing child abuse material, 81 counts of filming a person in a private act without consent, 22 counts of aggravated use of a child under 14 for production of child abuse material, and 18 counts of intentionally sexually touching a child under 10 years. Police alleged that 136 identified children were victims, with a further 22 victims still unidentified.

Tait worked at or attended 62 early childhood education facilities across Sydney between 2009 and 2025, predominantly in the city's north-west. Police alleged that the offending occurred at five facilities, comprising four childcare centres and his own private business. Police first linked Tait to illegal online activity in June last year and subsequently discovered child abuse material on electronic devices seized during a raid on a property in Glossodia, outside Sydney. According to police, 121 families affected by the alleged offending have been contacted, though efforts continue to identify remaining victims.

Australian Federal Police Acting Commander Luke Needham said the allegations constituted a serious breach of trust. Police have published a website identifying the centres where Tait worked and offering support to families. The case follows other high-profile allegations at Australian daycare centres, including charges against Ashley Paul Griffith in Queensland, who confessed to 307 offences committed over 20 years, and Joshua Dale Brown in Victoria, leading to testing of over 1,200 children for sexually transmitted diseases.