On May 12, police arrested 26-year-old Point Cook man Joshua Brown.

Brown had worked at a number of childcare centres across Melbourne, police said.

She did not say how Brown came to police attention, but said the investigation was not sparked by a complaint to police.

While Brown was arrested weeks ago, she said, it took time for police to identify the alleged victims.

Police are continuing to investigate, including allegations of offences at a second childcare centre in Essendon.

Although Brown’s charges are linked only to a single child care centre, he worked at 20 such centres between January 2017 and May 2025, police say.

Stevenson explained that revealing Brown’s identity and former job locations was an “unusual” step, taken to ensure parents are kept informed.

The families of the eight alleged victims have been notified, police say.

The police mentioned that they are reaching out to families with children who attended any of the listed centers to provide necessary support and welfare services.

There is no evidence at this time to suggest any other staff member at any centre is involved in this matter, investigators said, nor have police alleged Brown committed offences at other centres.

Victoria Chief Health Officer Dr Christian McGrath said 2600 families had been contacted.

He said health authorities were urging 1200 children who may have been exposed to “infectious disease” during Brown’s periods of employment at childcare centres to undergo testing.

McGrath said the disease in question, which he did not disclose for privacy reasons, was treatable with antibiotics and did not pose a wider risk to the community.

The testing would be provided free of charge and he said families would be “supported” in taking it up.

He anticipated the process would take “days to weeks”.

Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said she was “sickened” by the allegations and confirmed the state’s early childhood regulator had launched an investigation.

She said any reform in the state would be guided by that investigation and the one carried out by police.

“This is an incredibly distressing and confronting investigation for all involved and I know many members of the community will hear this news and feel enormously concerned,” Stevenson said.

“We know there are potentially people out there who have information about this investigation that they wish to pass on to police.

“This may be people who had children at a centre where the man worked or staff who may have worked with him and noticed particular behaviours.”