Sydney childcare worker faces 202 new child abuse charges after extradition
Prosecutors allege Ashley Paul Griffith raped children as young as one while working in New South Wales.
By Samuel Hayes ·
Ashley Paul Griffith now faces 202 new charges for abusing children in New South Wales. Prosecutors filed the counts on Thursday, days after the 48-year-old man was moved from Queensland to Sydney.
The new allegations cover crimes committed between 2014 and 2017. Griffith worked at a childcare center in Sydney's inner west during that period. Police say the 202 charges involve 23 alleged victims who were between one and five years old.
The most serious counts include 68 instances of raping a child under age 10. There are also 42 counts of aggravated rape of a child under 10 who was under Griffith's authority. Investigators charged him with 69 counts of aggravated indecent assault and 23 counts of producing child abuse material.
Griffith is currently held at the Silverwater Correctional Complex in Sydney. Assistant Commissioner Brett Greentree of NSW Police described the allegations as deeply disturbing. He noted that the investigation required collaboration with police across Australia.
This latest batch of charges follows Griffith's life sentence in Queensland in November 2024. He pleaded guilty to more than 300 sexual offenses against nearly 70 victims in that state. A Brisbane magistrate approved his transfer to New South Wales earlier this month. Supporters of the alleged victims yelled insults at him from the gallery during the extradition hearing.
Griffith arrived in New South Wales on Wednesday. The new charges will be heard in court alongside his previous convictions.
