Hamish Tait, a 35-year-old childcare worker in Sydney, Australia, has been charged with 329 offences relating to the alleged abuse of 136 children across multiple nurseries over a 16-year period from 2009 to 2025.
Tait was arrested last year but his identity was only revealed after police applied for a court order on July 13 to trace additional victims. He remains in custody.
Details of the charges
The charges include 162 counts of producing child abuse material, 81 counts of filming a person engaged in a private act without consent, 22 counts of aggravated use of a child under 14 for production of child abuse material, and 18 counts of intentionally sexually touching a child under 10.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed they have contacted 121 families impacted but are still trying to trace 22 victims. Tait was employed at or visited more than 55 early years education settings in Sydney, predominantly in the city's north-west, where most incidents are believed to have occurred. The alleged abuse took place at five settings, including four Fit Kidz childcare centres and his own venture, Wild Earthlings Glenorie.
Police investigation and public appeal
Following Tait's naming, police launched a website listing the centres where he worked to help locate further victims and support affected families. AFP Acting Commander Luke Needham said: "Any form of child sexual abuse is confronting and horrific, even more so when the alleged perpetrator is an individual trusted with the care of our youth."
On Thursday, the AFP released images of distinctive clothing, including a puffer vest with a dinosaur pattern, believed to have been photographed on June 26, 2023, at a Rouse Hill childcare centre. AFP Detective Acting Inspector Emmanuel Tsardoulias said the release is part of the "painstaking and detailed" victim identification process. The AFP has received over 300 calls since the operation began.
Impact on families
The news has caused panic among parents whose children's nurseries appeared on the list. One mother, who asked not to be named, told Nine News: "My first reaction was shock and disbelief but I held it together. We needed more information before I let panic take over." She noted that her child's daycare reassured her Tait had only visited, not worked there. She added: "Our hearts just go out to those parents with kids at centres who were [allegedly] impacted by this horrific individual."
Kid Fitz Learning Centres, where Tait was employed, issued a statement expressing they are 'heartbroken' and 'sorry'. Mick and Melissa Scaife said that due to a non-publication order, they could not contact former families before Monday. The statement read: "The order was only discontinued in court late yesterday, meaning that we can now contact families and identify the alleged offender as Hamish Tait, who worked with us for many years and also conducted an outside business in nature play and vacation care, and consulted to other Child Care Centres. We are shocked, saddened, disgusted, and sorry for the pain that has been caused to our extended community."
The statement continued: "Nothing is more important to us, or more fundamental to the trust you place in us, than keeping children safe while they are in our care. The actions of this former employee represent a profound betrayal of that trust and have left us, and our entire team, heartbroken."
Tait was linked to illegal online activity last June when officers discovered child abuse material across 25 electronic devices containing 2.4 million files, including alleged child abuse images.
