A federal police investigation into Hamish Tait, a Sydney childcare worker accused of abusing 136 children, has expanded to include a remote Indigenous community in South Australia. Authorities are also searching for an anonymous overseas individual who allegedly received abuse material.

Tait, 35, faces 329 charges related to alleged child abuse over a 16-year period. These charges include 162 counts of producing child abuse material, 81 counts of filming private acts without consent, and 24 counts of using a child under 14 for producing abuse material. A court order protecting his identity was lifted on Monday, revealing him as the man arrested by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in July 2025.

The AFP stated that Tait had worked at or attended 62 childcare centres during his career, with alleged offending believed to have occurred at four centres in Sydney and at his own early education business, Wild Earthlings, located in Glenorie. Police have launched a website under Operation Moonbi listing 55 childcare centres where Tait was present between 2009 and 2025, mainly in Sydney's north-west. However, several centres were recently removed after detectives confirmed Tait had no access to children during brief visits focused on staff interactions.

Acting Commander Needham reported the AFP has contacted 121 families in Australia and overseas, but 22 victims remain unidentified. The matter is still before the courts in New South Wales, and Tait has not been charged with any offences in South Australia.

Authorities in South Australia are cooperating closely with the AFP to gather more information about the limited offending alleged to have occurred in the state. Tait reportedly spent significant time in remote Indigenous communities, both teaching and learning from the people and the land.

A spokesperson said, "The police will of course investigate what's happened, what the involvement was with children … this is disturbing and we would hope that the police investigate fully."

Sources