Former childcare employee Ashley Paul Griffith has confessed to committing 307 sexual offences towards dozens of kids beneath his care in Brisbane and Italy between 2007 and 2022.
Griffith, 46, from the Gold Coast, pleaded responsible to all costs at an arraignment on the Queensland district courtroom on Monday morning.
A packed courtroom was silent as all 307 costs have been learn out this morning, a course of that took greater than two hours. Some within the viewers stood throughout your complete listening to, attributable to an absence of house.
A number of onlookers cried throughout the listening to earlier than choose Anthony Rafter.
Griffith appeared in a striped polo shirt and denims and stood whereas the fees have been learn. He stated “guilty” in a peaceful voice as every of the fees have been learn out by a choose’s affiliate, and sometimes nodded.
He was formally convicted of offences dedicated at childcare centres the place he labored between January 2007 and August 2022.
They embrace 190 costs of illegal and indecent coping with a toddler beneath 12 beneath his care, 28 counts of rape, 67 counts of constructing little one exploitation materials, 4 counts of manufacturing little one exploitation materials and a rely of distributing little one exploitation materials. He was additionally charged with possessing little one exploitation materials between 2005 and 2022, utilizing a carriage service for that goal.
Requested if he had something to say, Griffith mouthed no and shook his head.
Sixty victims have been named within the courtroom on Monday, however their identities can’t be reported for authorized causes.
The Australian federal police believes Griffith – who had the required childcare {qualifications} – recorded all his alleged offending on telephones and cameras at work.
An extra 13 costs have been dropped initially of Monday’s listening to.
Griffith labored at a spread of childcare centres in Brisbane, and others in Sydney and Pisa, Italy.
He was arrested in October 2022 by officers of the AFP and Queensland police.
All victims have been recognized and their households knowledgeable, the AFP has beforehand stated.
The AFP stated Griffith labored at some childcare centres the place he didn’t offend.
A sentencing date for Griffith has but to be set, however he’ll seem once more on the district courtroom for a point out on 9 September.
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On the request of crown prosecutor Stephanie Gallagher, the courtroom ordered {that a} psychiatrist’s report be ready as a part of a pre-sentencing report.
Decide Rafter stated the sentencing may take greater than two days because of the massive variety of victims’ households who may select to learn out sufferer affect statements.
Defence barrister Sarah Cartledge stated the defence had tried to progress the matter as rapidly as doable.
The mother and father of 1 sufferer spoke exterior courtroom on Monday, however can’t be recognized for authorized causes.
They stated Griffith was on the childcare centre for simply 15 days in 2018, and got here throughout as odd and “weird looking”.
They have been glad Griffith confessed and pleaded responsible, slightly than “having him see the pictures of all of these children again [in order to make a defence]”, the mom stated.
Their little one was “very young at the time, and we’ve talked to her about it, but … she doesn’t quite understand”, she stated.
“As she grows up we’ll deal with that as it comes, but it’s going to be something we’ll deal with through out lives now,” the daddy stated.
“We certainly feel that the there’s something broken in the system, how someone like that could get away with that for so long.
“It’s hard to believe that it’s being run as effectively as it could have been when someone could be so prolific.”
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In Australia, youngsters, younger adults, mother and father and lecturers can contact the Youngsters Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and grownup survivors can contact Blue Knot Basis on 1300 657 380. The disaster help service Lifeline is 13 11 14. For those who or somebody you realize is impacted by sexual assault, household or home violence, name 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or go to www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, name 000. Worldwide helplines could be discovered through www.befrienders.org.
