A paedophile childcare worker who abused 65 children over two decades could have been stopped on five separate occasions if Queensland had implemented basic child protection measures, a damning government review has found.
Ashley Paul Griffith was sentenced to a minimum of 27 years in prison last October after pleading guilty to 307 offences, including ongoing sexual abuse and making child exploitation material, against 65 victims aged one to nine beginning in 2003.
He pleaded guilty to 28 counts of rape against girls primarily aged three to five at childcare centres in Queensland between 2007 and 2022.
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The damning 10-month investigation into Griffith’s horrific crimes revealed the serial offender could have been caught much earlier if the Sunshine State had a reportable conduct scheme in place.
Griffith had been fired from jobs involving children at least five times and had been the subject of investigations by police and the Early Childhood Regulatory Authority into his conduct, the report noted.
The report also found children, parents and staff had “repeatedly raised legitimate concerns” about Griffith, which were “missed opportunities” to stop further abuse, according to chief executive of the Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) Luke Twyford, who led the review.
Queensland remains the last state and territory in Australia without such a legal framework, which requires organisations to report and investigate allegations of child abuse.
The reportable conduct scheme is considered a basic safeguard that helps identify patterns of abuse and ensures proper investigation of allegations against people working with children.
Childcare worker’s ‘depraved’ crimes
Griffith was arrested in 2022 when police searched his Gold Coast home and found more than 4000 child abuse images and videos on his devices documenting the majority of his offending.
Brisbane District Court Judge Paul Smith imposed a life sentence with a non-parole period of 27 years, saying Griffith was “depraved and has a high risk of reoffending”.
The judge said Griffith filmed all but one victim as he sexually assaulted them and there was a chance the videos he shared with others would “live forever on the internet”.
Smith said Griffith could be heard in the videos mocking victims after they complained his abuse was “yucky” and told him to stop. He added that Griffith used “a degree of violence and emotional manipulation” to enable his abuse.
Griffith’s lawyers, Gnech and Associates, confirmed an appeal had been lodged on behalf of the paedophile on the grounds the sentence was manifestly excessive.
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