In brief
Police have finally revealed the identity of Hamish Tait, a former Sydney childcare worker accused of 329 offences, including producing child‑abuse material, after a court order was lifted. The alleged crimes spanned 16 years and involved 136 children at five childcare centres. Authorities have contacted 121 families, still searching for 22 victims, and are providing support through an online platform. The case adds to a growing list of high‑profile child‑abuse scandals across Australia.
On Monday, police named a 35‑year‑old former childcare worker who faces 329 criminal charges of child sexual abuse in Sydney. The alleged offences spanned 16 years, involving 136 children at five different early‑learning centres.
Hamish Tait, who worked or attended 62 centers between 2009 and 2025—mostly in the city’s north‑west—has been charged with 162 counts of producing child‑abuse material and 81 counts of filming a private act without consent. He also faces 22 counts of aggravated use of a child under 14 for the production of abuse material, and 18 counts of intentional sexual touching of a child under ten.
Police say they linked Tait to illegal online activity in June last year, and later discovered abuse material on electronics seized during a raid in Glossodia, a suburb just outside Sydney.
The AFP has reached out to 121 families already flagged as possible victims, while still seeking to identify 22 additional children. Support and information are available through the “Operation Moonbi” website, which lists the facilities where Tait worked.
Australia’s media has recently covered several other high‑profile daycare abuse cases, including the 2024 confession of Ashley Paul Griffith who admitted 307 offences across Queensland and overseas. In Victoria, police urged over 1,200 children to be tested for sexually transmitted infections after Joshua Dale Brown was charged with dozens of child‑abuse crimes at four centres.
AFP Acting Commander Luke Needham said the situation is “confronting and horrific, especially when the perpetrator is someone who is trusted with children.”
For more context and updates, visit the AFP’s Operation Moonbi page.
