Australia’s ‘worst day care paedophile’ targeted remote indigenous community on NT-SA border, police fear
Police suspect one of the country’s most prolific nursery abusers is traveling to a remote South Australian community to prey on vulnerable children.
The imprint could also reveal progress in the case, which came a day after Hamish Tait was unmasked as parents grappled with the devastating breach of trust and called police.
Tait was charged by the Australian Federal Police in July last year for allegedly uploading child abuse material to a cloud server as part of Operation Moonbi.
During the investigation, 329 charges were filed against the 35-year-old man for allegedly abusing 158 children and working in 62 centers. (See the list at the end of the article.) The scale of the alleged crime means that, if convicted, she would have abused more children than any other childcare worker in the country’s history.
Electronic evidence obtained from Tait’s phones and devices allegedly showed him filming children in the toilets of five centers between 2009 and 2025.
Tait’s identity was concealed until Monday, when this imprint fought and defeated a legal bid to keep his name out of the press.
Court documents submitted in the process of identifying Tait reveal details of the case against him, including AFP identifying alleged victims in Australia and the UK.
A passage in a document from November last year was obtained by South Australia Police, the AFP says.
“AFP contacted South Australia Police (SAPOL) regarding access to an Indigenous County in rural South Australia,” the document states.
The document describes a small community where this imprint has chosen not to be reprinted to protect the identities of potential victims.
The town is one of many towns in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Territory, bordering the Northern Territory in western South Australia.
Most visitors to APY Land can only enter with permission, but Tait works with children in the remote community, sources said. reporter And Age.
Details of the investigation were redacted from court documents.
Friends and family had been tagging Tait in Facebook posts about news in APY Lands since 2018.
That year, Tait founded a business called Wild Earthlings, which allowed Sydney parents to surrender their children to him in bushlands around the city.
Tait would introduce them to forest art. Social media posts show the alleged pedophile playing the didgeridoo for children, pushing them on swings and showing them leaves and tree bark.
“Each session begins with Wild Earthlings getting to know the country, where we come together and pay our respects to all First Nations people,” the now-deleted Wild Earthlings site says.
“Natural, inviting activities such as clay, indigenous perspectives, painting and many other ideas will be used in collaboration with children and what they want to learn.”
According to court documents, more than 130 children enlisted by Tait in Operation Moonbi have been identified, but 22 remain unidentified.
Supporting this imprint’s bid to lift the ban on Tait’s identity, the AFP activated a Local Contact Point on Monday evening.
This will help concerned parents reach out and identify alleged victims from clothing items allegedly recorded by Tait, including a dinosaur-print puffer vest and a pink and gold backpack.
Within hours of Tait’s identity being reported on Monday afternoon, the contact received nearly 40 calls.
‘I read it and it absolutely stuck to my stomach – I was shaken to my core.’
The mother whose daughter is looked after by Tait
Politicians, parents and those who knew Tait reacted with shock as the allegations against the senior nursery worker spread.
A mother said she recognized Tait’s photo in this tag on Monday evening.
“I read it and it was absolutely gripping to my stomach, I was shaken to my core,” he said.
“As a parent, you trust them and then years later you find out he might be a pedophile? It’s devastating.”
The woman, who asked not to be named, said parents thought Tait was “perfect” during the years he taught their children.
“I’m glad my daughter had a boys’ childcare teacher, she was very friendly, the kids seemed to love her and feel comfortable with her,” she said.
“This feels like a breach of trust. It’s completely unexpected.”
The mother is now considering reaching out to AFP to get a definitive answer to a distressing question: Was her child one of 22 unidentified teenagers allegedly filmed by Tait?
Hundreds of parents and teachers online feared the same thing.
“Unfortunately, Windsor Nursery is listed as one of 62 Early Childhood Education facilities where Hamish Tait allegedly worked or attended,” the nursery wrote online.
“There were no children in attendance and he did not have access to photographs of any children.”
Another woman who worked with Tait also urged people to contact AFP.
“I worked with Hamish when I was 17. I was completely unaware he was jailed last year,” he wrote earlier this month.
“My heart goes out to all the families and [alleged] Victims whose lives were affected because of this man.”
Commonwealth’s Attorney Michelle Rowland, whose district extends to Sydney’s north-west where Tait was allegedly most active in harassment, said she was “sickened and heartbroken” by the news.
“Every child and young person has the right to be safe and parents should be able to drop their children off at nursery without fearing for their safety,” Rowland said.
“Child sexual abuse is a heinous crime and anyone who commits such despicable acts must face the full force of the law.”
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said the government was investing half a billion dollars to improve standards and safety at the centre.
This will include creating a national register for childcare workers and trialling CCTV in centers and banning workers’ personal phones.
“Not enough has been done in the past to keep our children safe,” Clare said in a statement.
“This is not the end. This is just the beginning. The terrible truth is that this work will never be finished.”
Parents who believe their children have come into contact with Tait are asked to contact the AFP. contact point 9765 1000 from 7am to 7pm (AEST).
Where Hamish Tait works
- Alasan Summer Kindergarten
- Amata Anangu School
- Beaumont Hills OOSH (Puzzle OOSH or Beaumont Hils OOSH)
- Bright Minds Cranebrook
- Carinya District Children’s Center Inc.
- Cocoon Early Learning Center
- Cooranbong Valley Community Kindergarten
- Dee Why Kindergarten
- Endeavor Early Education – Kariong
- Discover and Develop Leichhardt
- Explore and Develop Roseville
- Discover and Develop Waitara
- Fit Kidz Learning Center Box Hill*
- Fit Kidz Learning Center Dural Kuzey
- Fit Kidz Learning Center Dural Güney
- Fit Kidz Learning Center Glenwood North
- Fit Kidz Learning Center Glenwood South
- Fit Kidz Learning Center Putney*
- Fit Kidz Learning Center Rouse Hill*
- Fit Kidz Learning Center Turramurra
- Fit Kidz Learning Center Vineyard
- Fit Kidz Learning Center Warrawee*
- Friendly Faces Child Care
- Glenning Valley Child Care Center
- Glenorie Kindergarten
- Goodstart Early Learning Center Woodcroft
- Gorokan Kindergarten
- Gracelands Early Education Center
- Heritage House Cherrybrook Early Education Center
- Jasmine Kindergarten
- Puzzle OOSH Dural
- Kiddiwinks Play, Laugh and Learn – Warriewood
- Kindy 4 Kids
- Kradle 2 Krayons Long Day Center
- Leura Child Care Center
- Little People’s Early Learning Center Wollongong
- Maraylya Early Learning Center
- Milestones Early Learning, Baulkham Hills
- Mimosa Kids
- Montessori Academy – Alexandria
- Montessori Academy – Engadine
- Montessori Academy – Gymea
- Montessori Academy – Penrith
- Montessori Academy – Zetland – Victoria Park
- Morisset and District Children’s Center
- Oakville Kindergarten
- Pacific Heights OOSH/BAASC
- Pennant Hills Before and After School Care
- Peter Pan Kindergarten
- Quakers Hill Preschool and Child Care Center
- Silverdale Child Care Center
- Tiny Tykes family day care
- Wiggling and Giggling Cranebrook
- Wild Earthlings Cumberland State Forest
- Wild Earthlings Glenorie*
- Wild Earthlings Sydney Park
- Wild Earthlings Wolli Creek
- Willunga Child Care Center
- Windsor Kindergarten
- Woodport Early Learning Center
- Young Scholars Early Learning Center Rouse Hill
* Shows places where police claim crimes were committed.
