By Danny Tran, Ben Butler and Andi Yu, ABC
A police cordon in Australia. Photo: AFP/ ABC Far North - Isaac Egan
Police investigating a Melbourne childcare worker accused of child sex crimes have charged a second man with serious offences, including bestiality.
Michael Simon Wilson, of Wyndham Vale, is also facing charges related to child abuse material and sex offences, according to the Melbourne Magistrates' Court.
He and childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown will next face the court in September.
Brown is facing more than 70 charges allegedly involving children at the Creative Garden Early Learning centre in Point Cook, in Melbourne's western suburbs, between April 2022 and January 2023.
Police have said there is no evidence to suggest any other staff in any other centre were involved in Mr Brown's alleged offending.
It comes as the Victorian government has announced it will fast-track reforms to the childcare sector following the charges against Brown.
Premier announces sector reforms
Premier Jacinta Allan announced on Wednesday her government would create a register of childcare workers "as soon as possible" to provide extra scrutiny.
"Acknowledging that there is work to create a national register of childcare workers, more needs to happen now," she said.
"We will start building the Victorian register to give families an extra layer of checks and balances as soon as possible."
Allan also announced the government would move to ban personal devices from childcare centres from 26 September.
She said the ban could become a licence condition and could earn centres fines of up to AUD$50,000 if breached.
The Victorian government has also commissioned an urgent review focused on immediate actions, which will be completed in about six weeks.
"This will be a short, sharp piece of work that will focus on the immediate actions that we can take based on that body of work that is going on across state and territory jurisdictions," Ms Allan said.
The review will consider whether CCTV should be installed in childcare centres.
Health authorities yesterday recommended 1200 children linked to centres where Brown worked be tested for infectious disease out of caution.
"The risk is low, but there's not no risk, which is why we're making this recommendation," Chief Health Officer Christian McGrath said today.
Extra call-takers have also been brought on to assist families contacting a dedicated advice line, after reports of long delays.
About 1300 families were supported on Tuesday.
Allan said parents contacted about the investigation would be "suffering unbearable pain and uncertainty".
She said immediate needs payments of AUD$5000 had been unlocked for directly affected families to cover time off work for parents, health appointments and other needs.
- ABC
