A childcare worker facing 329 charges relating to his alleged abuse of 136 children across multiple nurseries has been named. Hamish Tait, a Sydney-based childcare practitioner, allegedly committed the abuse over a 16-year period from 2009 to 2025. The 35-year-old was detained last year but has only now been identified as the accused after police secured a court order on July 13 to identify additional victims.
Charges and investigation
His charges encompass 162 counts of producing child abuse material and 81 counts of filming a person engaged in a private act without consent. Tait remains behind bars. The charges also include 22 counts of aggravated use of a child under 14 years for the production of child abuse material and 18 counts of intentionally sexually touching a child under 10 years.
Australian Federal Police confirmed they had reached out to 121 families impacted by the alleged crimes but are still attempting to identify 22 victims. Tait was employed at or visited over 55 early years education facilities across Sydney between 2009 and 2025. He predominantly worked in the city's north-western suburbs, where the majority of incidents are believed to have taken place.
Locations and identification efforts
The alleged abuse occurred at five facilities, including four Fit Kidz childcare centres and his own enterprise, Wild Earthlings Glenorie. Following Tait's identification, police launched a website listing the centres where he was employed to assist in locating further victims and supporting affected families.
Australian Federal Police 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 also released images of unique clothing items in an effort to further identify victims. One image showed a puffer vest adorned with a dinosaur pattern, with police noting that the photo was likely taken on June 26, 2023, at a Rouse Hill childcare centre.
AFP Detective Acting Inspector Emmanuel Tsardoulias stated that the release of these images forms part of the "painstaking and detailed" victim identification process. He added that the AFP had received over 300 calls since the operation began.
Parent and employer reactions
This new information has sparked a wave of 'panic' among parents whose children's daycare centres were mentioned in the list. A mother, who chose to remain anonymous, 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 further stated that she did not recognise him and her child's daycare reassured them that Tait had only visited the centre and did not work there. She added: "Our hearts just go out to those parents with kids at centres who were [allegedly] impacted by this horrific individual."
Fit Kidz Learning Centres, where Tait was employed, issued a lengthy statement expressing their heartbreak and apologies. Mick and Melissa Scaife explained that due to a non-publication order, they were unable to reach out to past families prior to Monday. The statement revealed: "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 went on: "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 connected to unlawful online behaviour last June, with officers discovering child abuse material across 25 electronic devices containing 2.4 million files including alleged child abuse images.
