Childcare Worker Sentenced to Life for Abuse of 70 Girls
A court has sentenced Ashley Paul Griffith, a former childcare worker dubbed “one of Australia’s worst paedophiles,” to life in prison for sexually abusing nearly 70 girls.
The 47-year-old admitted to 307 crimes committed at childcare centers in Queensland and other countries between 2003 and 2022. His victims were as young as one year old.
In court, Judge Paul Smith described Griffith’s actions as “depraved” and “horrendous,” highlighting the serious betrayal of trust. Griffith has a “paedophilic disorder” and is considered a high risk to reoffend, resulting in a minimum non-parole period of 27 years.
Griffith was first arrested in August 2022 by the Australian Federal Police. A year later, he faced charges for over 1,600 child sex offenses, but most of these charges were dropped.
Investigators found thousands of disturbing photos and videos of his abuse, which he shared on the dark web. They traced the videos back to him using unique bedsheets he sold to childcare centers in Queensland.
He pleaded guilty to 28 counts of rape. He also admitted to nearly 200 counts of indecent treatment of children.
Additionally, he faced several counts of making and sharing child exploitation material. Four of his victims were from a childcare center in Pisa, Italy, while the other 65 were from different locations in Brisbane.
During the court proceedings, victims and their parents spoke about their pain. One victim, who had thought of Griffith as her favorite teacher, expressed heartbreak upon learning the truth. Parents also shared their horror, with one mother saying, “You used her like a toy.”
Outside the court, families called for investigations into childcare centers, stressing the need for changes to protect children from similar abuse in the future.
