Ex-cop charged with ‘sickening’ abuse of childcare kids
Farid Farid, Rachel Jackson and Tom Wark |
An out-of-school care worker, secretly serving as a police officer at the same time, allegedly took explicit photos and videos of 10 children aged under six.
The 26-year-old man captured the child abuse material while working at six out-of-school care service providers in the northern suburbs of Sydney and the city centre between April 2021 and May 2024.
David William James has been remanded in custody since October 2024.
He came to the attention of Australian Federal Police investigators after they found the material on the dark web, tracing it back to him in June 2024.
Details of the investigation were revealed on Thursday after court-issued non-publication orders were revoked.
After successfully passing a childcare safety bill on Thursday triggered by recent abuse revelations, Education Minister Jason Clare said the alleged offences were a reminder more work was needed to rebuild trust in the system.
“To be brutally honest, this work will never end and the sickening news we heard from the Australian Federal Police in the last few hours is a reminder of why this is so important,” he told parliament.
Childcare centre safety has come under fresh scrutiny after accused pedophile Joshua Dale Brown was charged with more than 70 sex offences in Victoria earlier in July.
Investigators examined 142,000 files totalling about 19 gigabytes for the child-abuse material in relation to the latest case.
Some 1200 parents at the six centres where the alleged offences took place were contacted by federal investigators.
The Artarmon man is alleged to have offended at six locations but parents at 52 other locations, including some of Sydney’s most elite schools, where he worked casually, have been notified.
At an after-school centre in northwest Sydney where some of the offences allegedly took place, parents sheltering from the rain in their cars during the busy afternoon pick-up time had not heard of the disturbing details.
The principal of Lane Cove West Public School told media to contact the education department.
Junior Adventures Group, whose centres include Helping Hands, OSHClub and Primary OSHCare on the list provided by the AFP, said it shared “immense upset and concern” after only finding out about the allegations on Thursday.
“We have been co-operating with police and doing all that we can to assist them in their investigation,” the group told AAP.
“Protecting children in our care is of paramount importance to us. This is our top priority every day.”
Acting NSW Education Minister Courtney Houssos said her heart went out to parents.
“Our government takes the safety of children very seriously,” she said.
“We are progressing our own reforms of the early childhood sector, including out-of-school hours care services, to improve safety and transparency.”
NSW Police said the man was employed as a probationary constable between December 2021 and September 2022.
After he failed to successfully complete his probation, he continued in a civilian capacity until his resignation in May 2023.
Police said they were unaware he was working in the childcare sector at the same time.
AFP acting Assistant Commissioner Brett James noted the community should be aware offenders do not fit a specific profile.
“These sort of individuals cross all industries, cross all parts of the community and we don’t discriminate,” Mr James said.
James is due to appear in court on August 21.
SIX CENTRES WERE JAMES ALLEGEDLY COMMITTED THE OFFENCES:
*Pyrmont OSHC – City of Sydney
* OSHClub – Barker College
* Willoughby Kids House
* St Ives OSHC Centre – Kidzone
* Helping Hands – St Ives Park Public School
* Helping Hands – Lane Cove West
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
AAP
