What You Need to Know About the Childcare Worker Abuse Investigation

A man named Hamish Tait, 35, is accused of serious crimes against children. He worked at 62 childcare centers across Australia—mostly in Sydney, but also at a remote preschool in an Indigenous community in South Australia. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has now published a list of 55 of these centers where he worked or attended between 2009 and 2025.

Tait was arrested in July 2025 and faces 329 criminal charges. These include 162 counts of producing child abuse material, 81 counts of secretly filming people, and 24 counts of using children to make abuse material. Police have identified 136 victims so far; 22 remain unidentified. He is being held in jail while the case proceeds in court.

How the Investigation Started and What Police Found

The AFP launched Operation Moonbi in June 2025 after receiving a tip from a U.S. organization that tracks missing children. When police searched Tait's home at the time of arrest, they found approximately 2.4 million files on his devices—a number that shows the enormous scale of evidence to review.

The investigation required 12 separate search warrants. Police have contacted 121 families whose children may have been affected. Because so many centers and so many families are involved, the AFP set up a special office in Sydney just to support these families and gather more information.

Why This List Matters—and What It Doesn't Say

The AFP published a list of 55 childcare centers where Tait worked or attended. This list serves two purposes: it tells families their child's center is part of the investigation, and it helps police gather more information from the community.

Here is an important distinction: being on this list does not mean Tait committed crimes at each center. The list is a way to reach families who might otherwise never learn their child attended a center where he worked. Police have been clear about this distinction, even as they acknowledge that the list's purpose is to surface possibilities for families to consider.

The inclusion of the remote South Australian preschool on the list has drawn attention from local politicians. The acting premier, Kyam Maher, called the allegations "disturbing" and asked police for more information. No charges have been filed in South Australia.

Why the Public Release Happened Now

For months, a court order kept parts of this investigation secret—a standard practice meant to protect ongoing investigations and prevent harm to victims. A judge had approved this order to keep information away from the public.

This week, that court order was lifted after a legal challenge. This decision reflects a real tension in the law: the public has a right to know which institutions employed someone accused of serious crimes, but the government also has a duty to protect victims and investigations. With 22 victims still unidentified, that tension remains unresolved.

What This Case Shows About How Systems Work

One detail stands out: a childcare worker was able to move through 62 different centers over 16 years—from major Sydney institutions to a small remote preschool in South Australia. This raises a practical question about how well credential checks and background screening actually work when workers move frequently between facilities.

The AFP's decision to publish a public list, rather than rely only on direct notifications, reflects a real challenge. The network of families affected is spread too widely and too thinly to reach everyone one at a time, even though police have already contacted 121 families directly.

The case is still moving through the courts in New South Wales. Police continue to investigate and have urged anyone with relevant information to come forward to help identify the remaining victims.