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A childcare worker accused of sexually abusing 91 young girls across Brisbane and Sydney can now be identified as Ashley Paul Griffith.<\/p>\n
Griffith, 45, from the Gold Coast, was charged last year with more than 1600 offences, including rape and indecent treatment of children.<\/p>\n
Police allege the offences were committed across 10 Brisbane childcare centres between 2007 and 2013, and from 2018 to 2022, and a centre in Sydney between 2014 and 2017.<\/p>\n
Media outlets were previously unable to publish the identity of people accused of sexual assault crimes until they had been committed to stand trial.<\/p>\n
But following changes to Queensland\u2019s Sexual Offences Act, which came into effect on Tuesday, those accused can be identified unless a suppression order is in place.<\/p>\n
Detectives said they were able to track down Griffith as the alleged offender after they identified a set of bedsheets in the background of videos on the dark web.<\/p>\n
The sheets were traced by detectives to a manufacturer that supplied childcare centres in Queensland.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the Australian Federal Police said the accused had all the necessary qualifications for his job as a childcare worker, but his alleged offending, stretching back to 2007, went undetected.<\/p>\n
In August, Griffith\u2019s matter was heard in the Brisbane Magistrates Court, where the prosecution said police were awaiting further evidence from overseas witnesses.<\/p>\n
Griffith\u2019s case was scheduled in the Brisbane Magistrates Court for November 6.<\/p>\n