School in remote SA Indigenous community on list of places where accused paedophile worked | South Australia

Federal police’s investigation into a pedophile facing more than 300 child abuse charges has expanded to a remote community in South Australia.

Hamish Tait, 35, faces 329 charges of child abuse between 2009 and 2025 while he worked in 62 centres.

The charges include 162 counts of producing child abuse material, 81 counts of filming a person performing a specific act without consent and 24 counts of using a child under 14 to produce child abuse material.

136 of the alleged victims are known to police, but 22 have not yet been identified.

Tait was arrested and charged in July 2025 after police seized approximately 2.5 million files from electronic devices in his home. He remained in custody.

As part of Operation Moonbi, police set up a website containing a list of 55 childhood education facilities, mostly in Sydney, where Tait worked or attended between 2009 and 2025. The police did not claim that the attacker attacked all the mentioned centers.

While the matter is before the courts in New South Wales and Tait has not been charged with any crime in South Australia, a small nursery in a remote Indigenous community has been included on the list.

On Wednesday, South Australia’s acting premier and Indigenous affairs minister, Kyam Maher, told 891 ABC Adelaide the allegations were “disturbing”.

“The police will of course investigate what happened, what the relationship with the children was… it’s disturbing and we hope the police investigate fully,” Maher said.

“I have requested further information from our South Australian police, who work very closely with the federal police on many matters, including matters of this nature.”

SA’s education department said in a statement it was aware of the issue.

“We are aware of this matter from ongoing investigations,” a spokesman said.

“The Department of Education has a policy to notify the school community at the appropriate time when allegations of sexual harassment are made against anyone involved in any capacity at a school, including external contractors and volunteers.”

A non-publication order sought by the Australian federal police to protect the integrity of the police investigation was lifted on Monday following a legal challenge.

On Monday, AFP acting commander Luke Needham urged the community to consider what they could share with police to help identify the victims.

“The abuse of trust we allege is devastating and will have lifelong consequences for victims and their families,” he said.

“As a parent myself, I am acutely aware of how sad this news is.”

– with AAP