Former ACT ECEC employee found guilty of indecent conduct with young boy in his care

A former early childhood education employee has been found guilty of indecent conduct in relation to a young boy in his care, along with accusations in relation to two other children, the ABC has reported. 

Parents became concerned when they were together at a birthday party, and they began to compare notes about things their children have said. 

While the 29-year-old male employee was charged with indecently touching three children, he was cleared in relation to one child, and the jury was unable to reach a verdict in relation to the other child. 

The ACT Supreme Court jury did, however, find the man guilty of touching the genitals of a four-year-old boy in his care, which he described to his mother as ‘pinching’ when he came to pick him up that day. 

“He thinks it was fun and it was not fun for me, and then I bited [sic] him,” the child continued.

The male employee’s lawyer said the young child was upset, and made up the allegation to protect himself from getting into trouble for spitting and biting. 

Prosecutor Trent Hickey countered this argument, pointing out to the jury that another child had made a similar allegation against the same male employee, along with a third child, who’s mother noticed some changes to her body on bathing her.

The girl told her mother that she had hurt herself while playing, later telling her mother that the male employee had instructed her to say that if she was asked. 

At one stage, the male employee was confronted by other staff, and ‘laughed’ in response to the enquiry, saying the boy had spat at him and bitten him. When confronted on a second occasion, he repeated the biting and spitting allegation, adding that the boy “pushed his bottom into his hand” and that it was “disgusting” and he planned to tell the child’s mother. 

The boy’s parents said in a statement that they were happy their son got the justice he deserved, and that he should “be recognised as a little hero in the Canberra community, he put a stop to this man committing further crimes against children”.

“Teaching protective behaviours is what saved him, and we encourage all parents to teach their children,” they added. 

This story was first reported in the ABC. Access the original coverage here.