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More than 800 additional children are being recommended for testing for sexually transmitted infections after four more childcare centres were added to a list of known workplaces of alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown.
More dates have also been added for 10 other childcare centres, with police citing incomplete records from the providers for the discrepancies.
Earlier this month police revealed the 26-year-old childcare worker had been charged with more than 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims, aged between five months and two years old.
Along with the health department, they released a list of 20 childcare centres where Brown worked between January 2017 and May 2025 and his known employment dates.
Approximately 2,600 families with children who attended the centres were contacted, with 1,200 advised to undergo screening for sexually transmitted infections.
Detectives from the sexual crimes squad on Tuesday confirmed four more centres had been added to Brown’s work history. They are:
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Kids Academy Waratah Estate in Mickleham on 29 August 2024
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Milestones Early Learning Tarneit on 10 September 2024 and 13 September 2024
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Milestones Early Learning Braybrook on 4 December 2024 and 6 December 2024
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Milestones Early Learning Greensborough on 5 December 2024, 31 January 2025 and 27 February 2025
Ten of the 20 centres already identified have also been updated based on new information provided to police, while Papilio Early Learning in Hoppers Crossing has been removed from the list after further investigation determined the information was incorrect.
Police now believe Brown worked at 23 childcare centres between January 2017 and May 2025.
It is understood discrepancies in Brown’s work history were identified by both members of the public and detectives involved in the investigation.
Affinity Education Group, which operates many of the listed centres, said it had provided police with updated employment records for Brown on 3 July.
On Tuesday, the company apologised to affected families “for the distress this is causing.”
“No family should have to go through this. We are committed to supporting every family impacted whilst continuing to cooperate fully with the authorities as the investigation continues,” a spokesperson said.
In their statement, police said establishing Brown’s complete work history had been “extremely complex” as childcare providers do not have centralised records. It meant detectives had to “execute search warrants to obtain handwritten records, shift rosters and other critical information.”
Police also had to interview witnesses and assess more than 270 Crimestoppers reports to verify details and provide an accurate account of Brown’s employment history.
They have also sought to establish not just where Brown worked, but the specific shifts and duties he undertook.
Victoria police acting commander, Janet Stevenson, acknowledged some families would be frustrated by the delay in updating to Brown’s work history.
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“We are working through a large amount of information that has been provided to us,” said.
“Each piece of information has to be individually assessed and verified before it can be used as part of the investigation or released to the public.
“I want to reinforce that this is a continually evolving and changing situation. What hasn’t changed is that this investigation remains the highest priority for Victoria Police.”
The police statement said investigators were “assessing new information daily” and “further updates are likely in the coming weeks”.
The health department said it was contacting 830 additional families as a result of the new information, with 800 children likely to have direct contact with Brown recommended for testing.
“This is obviously a highly distressing situation, and I want to reassure all families being contacted that the potential exposure risk to an infectious disease for their child remains low,” the Victorian chief health officer, Dr Christian McGrath, said.
“Our recommendation for testing is a precaution and the test results we’ve received to date as part of this investigation reaffirms that the risk is low.”
Families will be contacted initially via SMS and then with a phone call. The department urged families to check the updated list of childcare centres and employment dates before calling its advice line.
Children who have already been tested will not need any additional screenings, the department said.
The health department has not publicly stated the infections the children will be screened for. However, in information provided to affected parents and seen by Guardian Australia, they have recommended testing for chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis for some children or chlamydia and gonorrhoea for others.
The infections can all be treated with antibiotics.
