‘Not guilty’: man linked to accused childcare abuser

The man accused of directing police to former child care worker and alleged pedophile Joshua Brown has pleaded not guilty to dozens of charges against him.

Michael Simon Wilson, 36, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday, where he opted to quickly refer more than 60 charges to a higher court.

The alleged crimes include possession and transmission of child abuse, aggravated use of a transportation service, bestiality and the alleged rape of a teenager he met on social media.

The court had previously said Wilson was alleged to have committed the offenses between April 2022 and May 2025, and most of the charges stemmed from analysis of his mobile phone.

His lawyer, Heather Anderson, said a number of charges involving alleged child victims were forwarded directly to the District Court, with each pleading not guilty.

Wilson, who appeared in court via video link from the Metropolitan Remand Center on Friday, was asked to formally enter his defense before magistrate Gerard Lethbridge.

As the charges were published, the defendant replied, “Not guilty, Your Honor.”

“I have noted your plea of ​​not guilty to all charges,” Mr. Lethbridge said.

“You are under arrest because you have not requested bail.”

He next faces a directions hearing in the Melbourne District Court on December 15.

Wilson is charged separately with eight counts, including rape and allegations that he detained and supervised a woman against her will.

Ms Anderson said her client planned to fight the charges and a one-day, contested hearing was set for February 25 next year.

In October, Wilson asked for a gag order because of his case and its alleged connections to Brown.

The judge failed after finding that just because Brown’s case was “notorious” did not mean he was entitled to a gag order against him.

Prosecutors told the court that when police investigated Wilson’s alleged crime, they found information on his devices that led them to the accused child care abuser.

Brown, who is due to appear in court next February, is charged with more than 70 offenses related to alleged abuse of eight children in his care between April 2022 and January 2023.

He has not yet entered a plea to any of the charges.

Wilson is not charged with any child care-related crimes.

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Child Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)

National Sexual Abuse and Resolution Support Service 1800 211 028