Police have been ordered to open a new investigation into how complaints against a vile child predator, alleged to be Australia’s worst pedophile, were handled in the years before his arrest.
Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan said the new internal probe needed to be conducted as to how initial complaints about former childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith were handled after the 45-year-old was convicted on hundreds of charges relating to the abuse of children in Queensland childcare centres.
Griffith pleaded guilty to 307 child abuse-related charges in the District Court on Monday.
The charges include multiple counts of rape and indecent treatment of young girls across Brisbane between 2007 and 2013 and again from 2018 to 2022.
It is alleged another 180 offences occurred against children at a childcare centre in Sydney. Griffith is yet to appear in a NSW court to answer to these charges.
Complaints of his abuse in Queensland were first raised to police in 2021, but Griffith was not arrested until August 2022 when he was initially charged with two counts of making child exploitation material and one count of using a carriage service for child pornography material.
Investigators were able to trace objects identified in the background of images and videos – which had been posted on the dark web between 2013 and 2014 – back to a Brisbane childcare centre where Griffith had worked.
Thousands of additional charges – which have since been discontinued – were laid by federal police after more child abuse material was found on devices belonging to Griffith in August 2023.
Police have been ordered to open a new investigation into how complaints against Ashley Paul Griffith (pictured), alleged to be Australia’s worst pedophile, were handled in the years before his arrest
After Griffith’s arrest, Yolanda Borucki revealed she first raised concerns about the Griffith while she was working alongside him at a Queensland childcare centre in 2021.
Speaking to A Current Affair in 2023, Ms Borucki alleged Griffith had been seen kissing a child at the centre, raising her concerns with management and eventually passing on concerns to police.
Queensland Police investigated the October 2021 complaint and another in April 2022 but found there was insufficient evidence to establish a criminal offence.
In a statement, the Queensland Police Service (QPS) confirmed both were subject to an ‘internal review’ by an independent senior detective with significant child protection experience.
‘This review found both investigations had been conducted according to QPS policy and concurred with the original findings that there was insufficient evidence to substantiate a criminal offence based on what was known at the time,’ a spokeswoman said.
‘Once further information and evidence was identified as part of the Australian Federal Police’s (AFP) Operation Tenterfield, the AFP executed a search warrant at the man’s residence in August 2022.’
But Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan has now demanded a new internal probe into how the complaints were handled after Griffith’s conviction.
Ashley Paul Griffith (pictured) was convicted of 307 child abuse-related charges. Court sketch by Scott Breton
‘The level of trauma he has inflicted upon so many is almost beyond comprehension,’ Mr Ryan said.
‘Speaking generally, I know police will always do their very best to act upon complaints and conduct thorough investigations to ensure that perpetrators are held to account.
‘Notwithstanding this matter having been previously reviewed, I have asked the commissioner if this matter could be examined again.
‘If any improvements or learnings can be identified, then it is my expectation they should be implemented as soon as possible.’
Police said the 2021 complaint did not relate to physical contact with a child.
Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan (pictured) has now demanded a new internal probe into how the complaints were handled after Griffith’s conviction
‘However, the QPS will continue to consider this investigation as legal proceedings progress,’ the spokeswoman said.
‘Some evidence that was presented during the recent prosecution was not known at the time of the original QPS investigations.’
Griffith was committed to the District Court earlier in 2024 on a heavily reduced indictment of 320 charges – another 13 of which were dropped at the start of his arraignment on Monday.
It was standing room only as family members of victims packed the public gallery and stared down Griffith, who was dressed in jeans and a striped shirt.
He did not make eye contact with the public, instead darting his eyes around the room and remaining 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 carriage service to access child pornography material.
The charges cover offending in childcare centres across the Brisbane region as well as in Pisa, Italy.
Griffith’s NSW charges 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 indecent assault and one count of producing child abuse material.
It was standing room only at the District Court (pictured) as family members of victims packed the public gallery and stared down Griffith
Court proceedings in NSW will begin when his Queensland matters are finalised.
Griffith is alleged to have recorded his abuse of children – all of them allegedly pre-pubescent girls – working at 10 childcare centres in Brisbane between 2007 to 2013 and 2018 to 2022.
Police allege further offences took place at a location in Europe between 2013 and 2014 and in a Sydney centre between 2014 and 2017.
Griffith has worked at other centres but is not alleged to have offended while working there.