Sydney daycare worker David James sentenced for filming child abuse in several centres
A Sydney childcare worker shared the mother of one of the victims’ agonizing pain, sleepless nights and ongoing mistrust of people as she secretly filmed the abuse of nine children at various centres, a judge has heard.
Facing Sydney Downing Center District Court via audiovisual link from custody on Thursday, David James was sentenced to 12 years in prison with a seven-year non-parole period for four counts of using a child under the age of 14 to make child exploitation material, committing and filming a sexual act with a child to make exploitation material, four counts of producing or possessing child exploitation material and failing to give device passwords to police.
Judge Guy Newton said the 27-year-old had made an appalling abuse of his position of trust and authority for sexual gratification due to his escalating crimes.
“James led a double life, one in private and the other in public,” he said.
“In society [he] He was a self-confident, pro-social young man who had an active career in policing, had good relationships with others. But specifically [he] contained deviant sexual interests…consistent with pedophilia.”
James, a compulsive pornography viewer, was active on the dark web.
While there is no evidence that children knew a crime was being committed, they may become aware of it later in life, Newton said.
He noted a similar assessment of the “critical importance” of child care centers, which support children’s social and emotional development as well as their growth in economic stability.
“It is vital that parents and other caregivers have confidence in child care facilities,” Newton said.
“It is also difficult for children to speak out due to their relative powerlessness towards their adult caregivers. As a result, this type of aggression can be very difficult to detect.”
The judge outlined a victim impact statement from the mother of a child whose family’s life had been “irreversibly changed”.
She said her children no longer attend after-school or holiday care, and she and her husband prefer to leave work early to pick them up from school.
“I no longer see any person or place as safe as a result of this man,” he wrote.
“I’m trying to reconcile the idea that my children are safe anywhere but with me or my husband.”
The woman said she lay awake worrying about whether her sons would be safe at school camp, tarnishing what was supposed to be fun and exciting.
He expressed feeling guilty “as a result of this whole experience” and hoped that James would pay for his crimes to provide “some reprieve”.
The identity of the former NSW Police probationary officer and Knox graduate and the 58 centers where he casually worked were kept secret for almost a year much reporter successfully appealed the court decision.
Pleaded guilty to child abuse charges at Pyrmont OSHC – City of Sydney between April 2021 and May 2024; OSHClub – Barker College; Willoughby Children’s Home; Helping Hands – St Ives Park Public School; St Ives OSHC Center – Kidzone; and Helping Hands – Lane Cove West. The children were between five and nine years old, and James was between 22 and 26 years old. (This story has a list of all the centers it works with below.)
In a handwritten letter submitted to the court, James apologized to “the children who were unaware of my crime until the police had a conversation with them that should never have occurred.”
“I acknowledge my deep belief that someone so seemingly warm and caring could care for you and expose you like I selfishly did. I’m truly sorry about that,” she wrote.
Addressing his victims’ parents, James said he was “deeply ashamed” of having contributed “in such an egregious way” to the “distrust” of “an already fragile institution”.
“I recognize that finding care options for your children is difficult and time-consuming, and that the impact of my actions may cause you to question even the best options available,” he said.
“This was further complicated by the heartbreaking moment when you were asked to describe the image that depicted someone you loved so dearly in an unimaginable way.”
Many details of the crimes are too sensational to be published. However, the statement about the facts presented to the court paints a disturbing picture.
While working in the centres, James completed his training at the Goulburn police academy and began working as a probationary officer.
In September 2024, AFP detectives were served with a search warrant for James’ home in Artarmon after discovering he had taken a photo of a child in a public place and shared it on the dark web. James was at home with his brother and led police to his bedroom.
There they found a silver Apple MacBook Air, a silver USB drive and a black Apple iPhone XR.
James was served with an executive order to hand over his passwords but was denied. He refused to do so five times in total. He was arrested and charged with disobeying the order.
But it didn’t take long for the digital forensic officer to crack the devices. They found a wealth of disturbing content: 22 images and videos containing child abuse material from victims James knew. Confirming the parents’ worst nightmares, police discovered James was recording the children during nursery shifts. Parents confirmed their identity.
Some content was recorded in “off-limits” areas for children, including staff toilets.
After being released after refusing to co-operate with police, James was rearrested in October 2024 and has remained in custody since then.
Newton acknowledged that James was a pedophile and at one point showed that he was aware of his “problematic” thoughts by calling the helpline.
James was banned from working at centers owned by Junior Adventures Group, parent company of Primary OSHCare, but continued to work casually at recruitment company Randstad as his Working with Children Check was unaffected.
One of the allegations that a child was used to make child abuse material was previously retracted. With his term having expired, James will be eligible for parole in October 2031. He was on the NSW Child Protection Register for 15 years.
Places and dates worked
- Artarmon Before and After School Care – Willoughby City Council (June 2019)
- Bales Park OSSH Services (December 2018)
- Beacon Hill Holiday Care – Northern Beaches Council (December 2018)
- Camp Australia – Artarmon (February – December 2022)
- Camp Australia – St Andrew’s Cathedral School (June 2018)
- Camp Australia – St Luke’s Grammar School (April 2018)
- Chatswood ASC & VC v Willoughby City Council (November 2018)
- Cromer Vacation Care – Northern Beaches Council (January 2020)
- Cubby House – Artarmon (June – August 2019)
- Forestville Holiday Care – Northern Beaches Council (July 2018 – April 2022)
- Girls and Boys Brigade – Surry Hills (November 2020)
- Gowrie NSW Erskineville Out of School Hours Care (June 2018; February 2019)
- Gowrie NSW North Sydney Community VC (April 2023)
- Helping Hands – Bourke Street (March 2019 – April 2024)
- Helping Hands – Lane Cove West (April 2018 – September 2024)
- Helping Hands – North Ryde (May 2018 – August 2023)
- Helping Hands – St Ives Park Public School (December 2023 – May 2024)
- Helping Hands – Willoughby Public School (April 2018 – December 2022)
- Hornsby South Before and After School Care (May 2018)
- Jigsaw – Anzac Park Public School (May 2018)
- KGV OSHC – City of Sydney (November 2018 – April 2022)
- KidsCo Australia – Virtual Holiday Program (July – August 2021)
- Knox Grammar High School (March 2018 – July 2020)
- Knox Grammar School OSHClub (May 2024)
- Manly Vale VC – Northern Beaches Council (April 2019 – July 2022)
- North Shore Coaching College (July 2023 – September 2024)
- OSHClub – Barker College (May 2018 – May 2024)
- OSHClub – Beaumont Road (May 2018 – April 2023)
- OSHClub – Fort Street (May 2018)
- OSHClub – Highfields (April – November 2018)
- OSHClub – Hornsby South (August 2018 – July 2023)
- OSHClub – Knox Grammar Preparatory School (May 2018 – February 2020)
- OSHClub – Newington Lindfield (February 2020)
- OSHClub – Smalls Road (February 2022 – August 2023)
- Our Lady of Good Counsel OSHC – Forestville (August 2018 – March 2019)
- Our Lady of the Rosary OSHC – Waitara (October 2018)
- Primary OSHCare – Chatswood (September 2019 – March 2020)
- Primary OSHCare – Forestville (February 2021)
- Primary OSHCare – French Forest (September 2022)
- Primary OSHCare – Killarney Heights (January 2023)
- Primary OSHCare – Mowbray (March 2020 – May 2024)
- Primary OSHCare – St Ives (July 2021 – January 2024)
- Primary OSHCare – St Ives North (February – March 2024)
- Pyrmont OSHC – City of Sydney (October 2018 – July 2022)
- SCECS – OSHC Rose Bay (January – May 2023)
- St Kieran’s OSHC v Manly Vale (May 2018 – February 2019)
- St Martin’s Davidson OSHC (September 2018)
- St Mary’s OOSH – Erskineville (December 2020)
- Stanmore OSHC Service – Inner West Council (July – August 2018)
- TeamKids – ANZAC Park Public School (February 2021 – June 2023)
- Their Care – Ravenswood Girls’ School (May 2023)
- Their Care – St Andrew’s Cathedral School (December 2020)
- Ultimo OSHC – City of Sydney (July 2018 – September 2024)
- Incorporating OSHC Brookvale (July 2023)
- West Lindfield Getaway – Holiday Care – Ku-ring-gai City Council (April 2018)
- Willoughby Children’s Home (July 2023)
- YMCA City of Bankstown (July 2018)
- YMCA NSW – Lycee Condorcet (July – August 2023)
List of centers as of 13:00 on July 31, 2025. Source: afp.gov.au
