Source : Perth Now news
Police have identified a further nine alleged victims of a former childcare worker and alleged prolific child sex offender.
Images of children’s clothing, including a tiny dinosaur puffer jacket and animal-patterned T-shirt, prompted information on three additional victims, police said on Friday.
Hamish Tait, 35, has been charged with 329 offences related to the creation and distribution of child abuse material.
Detectives allegedly found the images in which the clothing appeared on electronic devices seized as part of their investigation into Tait.
Following a community appeal for information in early July, police were able to identify a further nine of an alleged 158 total victims.
Another 13 are yet to be identified.
The total number of alleged victims had not increased since the community appeal was launched, police said.
A temporary communication hub set up by authorities received more than 460 calls from members of the community.
Police have contacted the victims and their families and offered tailored support, depending on their circumstances.
The investigation and victim identification process continues, with anyone with information urged to contact police.
Police released a list of 62 childcare centres Tait worked at between 2009 and 2025, mostly in Sydney.
Australian Federal Police Acting Commander Luke Needham previously said some victims would now be adults.
Tait has been in custody since he was arrested and charged in July 2025, when police seized almost 2.5 million files from electronic devices at his home.
He was initially charged with eight counts of online child abuse material offences, and was hit with additional offences through April, June and July 2026.
He now faces a total of 329 charges.
They include 162 counts of producing child abuse material and 81 counts of filming a person engaged in a private act without consent.
Evidence suggested Tait might have shared the images with a person overseas, Acting Commander Needham said.
