Major update after ‘Australia’s worst paedophile’ Ashley Paul Griffith admits to string of sickening crimes at childcare centres

Police have been ordered to launch a new investigation into how complaints against a despicable child sex offender, regarded as Australia’s worst paedophile, were handled in the years leading up to his arrest.

Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan says a new internal investigation should be conducted into the way initial complaints about former childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith were handled after the 45-year-old was convicted of hundreds of charges relating to child abuse at Queensland daycare centres.

Griffith pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Monday to 307 counts of child abuse.

The charges include multiple incidents of rape and indecent treatment of young girls in Brisbane between 2007 and 2013 and again from 2018 to 2022.

It is alleged that a further 180 child crimes took place at a Sydney daycare centre. Griffith is yet to appear in a NSW court to answer to these charges.

Complaints about his abuse were first made to Queensland police in 2021, but Griffith was not arrested until August 2022, when he was initially charged with two counts of producing child exploitation material and one count of using a child pornography transportation service.

Researchers were able to trace objects in the background of images and videos posted on the dark web between 2013 and 2014 to a Brisbane daycare centre where Griffith had worked.

Thousands of additional charges — now dropped — were filed by federal law enforcement after more child abuse material was found on Griffith’s devices in August 2023.

Following Griffith’s arrest, Yolanda Borucki revealed that she first raised concerns about Griffith when she worked with him at a Queensland daycare in 2021.

In an interview with A Current Affair in 2023, Ms Borucki alleged that Griffith had been seen kissing a child at the centre. She raised her concerns with management and eventually reported her concerns to police.

Queensland Police investigated the October 2021 complaint and another complaint in April 2022, but concluded there was insufficient evidence to establish a criminal offence.

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) confirmed in a statement that both suspects were the subject of an “internal investigation” by an independent senior detective with significant experience in child protection.

“This investigation found that both investigations were conducted in accordance with QPS policy and that, based on knowledge at the time, there was insufficient evidence to establish a criminal offence,” a spokeswoman said.

‘When further information and evidence was identified as part of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Operation Tenterfield, the AFP executed a search warrant at the man’s home in August 2022.’

But Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan has now demanded a new internal investigation into the way complaints were handled following Griffith’s conviction.

“The trauma he has caused so many people is almost unfathomable,” Ryan said.

‘In general, I know that the police will always do their utmost to follow up complaints and conduct thorough investigations to ensure that perpetrators are held to account.

‘Despite the fact that this matter has been investigated before, I have asked the Commissioner whether this matter could be re-examined.

‘If there are improvements or lessons learned, I expect these to be implemented as quickly as possible.’

According to police, the 2021 complaint did not involve physical contact with a child.

“However, the QPS will continue to consider this investigation as the legal proceedings progress,” the spokeswoman said.

‘Some of the evidence presented during the recent prosecution was not known at the time of the original QPS investigation.’

Griffith was arraigned in early 2024 in District Court on a significantly reduced indictment of 320 charges, 13 of which were withdrawn at the start of his arraignment on Monday.

There was only standing room available as relatives of the victims gathered in the public gallery and stared at Griffith, who was dressed in jeans and a striped shirt.

He made no eye contact with the audience, but let his gaze wander around the room and remained silent.

Griffith pleaded guilty to 307 charges – 190 counts of indecent treatment of children, 67 counts of making child exploitation material, 28 counts of rape, 15 counts of maintaining an unlawful relationship with a child, four counts of producing child exploitation material, one count of distributing child exploitation material, one count of possessing child exploitation material and one count of using a transmission service to access child pornography.

The charges relate to violations at daycare centers in the Brisbane region and Pisa, Italy.

The charges against Griffith in NSW include 68 counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 10, 42 counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child under 10, 69 counts of aggravated sexual assault and one count of producing child abuse material.

The trial in NSW will commence once his Queensland cases are concluded.

Griffith is alleged to have recorded his abuse of children – allegedly all pre-pubescent girls – while working in ten daycare centres in Brisbane between 2007 and 2013 and between 2018 and 2022.

Police allege further crimes took place at a location in Europe between 2013 and 2014 and at a centre in Sydney between 2014 and 2017.

Griffith has worked at other centres but is not believed to have committed any crimes there.