Lead

A federal police investigation into a Sydney childcare worker accused of abusing more than 130 children has expanded to include a small government preschool in a remote Indigenous community in South Australia, as authorities continue to search for an anonymous overseas individual allegedly sent abuse material.

Hamish Tait, 35, is facing 329 charges related to the alleged abuse of 136 children over a 16-year period. His charges include 162 counts of producing child abuse material, 81 counts of filming a person engaged in a private act without consent, and 24 counts of using a child under 14 years for the production of child abuse material.

Coverage comparison

The investigation, dubbed Operation Moonbi, has drawn attention from Australian media. ABC Australia reported that a court order protecting Tait's identity was lifted on Monday, allowing him to be named as the man arrested by Australian Federal Police (AFP) in July last year. The Guardian noted that Tait was arrested and charged in July 2025, when police seized almost 2.5 million files from electronic devices at his home. He has remained in custody.

Both outlets reported that Tait worked at or attended 62 childcare centres over the course of his career, but police believe his alleged offending occurred at four centres in Sydney and at his own early education business, Wild Earthlings in Glenorie. Police have established a website under Operation Moonbi, which includes a list of the 55 childcare centres where Tait worked or attended between 2009 and 2025, predominantly in Sydney's north-west.

Key claims

  • Tait faces 329 charges related to the alleged abuse of 136 children, with charges spanning 2009 to 2025.
  • The charges include 162 counts of producing child abuse material, 81 counts of filming a person engaged in a private act without consent, and 24 counts of using a child under 14 years for the production of child abuse material.
  • Police seized almost 2.5 million files from electronic devices at Tait's home at the time of his arrest in July 2025.
  • Tait worked at or attended 62 childcare centres over his career, but police believe most offending occurred in Sydney; a small preschool in a remote Indigenous community in South Australia has been included on the list of centres where he worked.
  • Police have established a website under Operation Moonbi, which includes a list of the 55 childcare centres where Tait worked or attended between 2009 and 2025.
  • Tait has not been charged with any offences in South Australia, and the matter remains before the courts in New South Wales.

Perspectives

Police

The AFP said Tait had either worked at or attended 62 childcare centres over his career, but believe his alleged offending occurred at four centres in Sydney and at his own early education business, Wild Earthlings in Glenorie. AFP Acting Commander Luke Needham said all current charges related to alleged offending in NSW.

South Australian government

Acting South Australian premier and Indigenous affairs minister Kyam Maher told 891 ABC Adelaide the allegations were “disturbing.”

“The police will of course investigate what’s happened, what the involvement was with children … this is disturbing and we would hope that the police investigate fully,” Maher said. “I have requested more information from our South Australian police who work very closely with the federal police on a whole range of things, including these sorts of matters.”

South Australian education department

In a statement, the SA education department said it was aware of the matter. “We are aware of this matter with investigations continuing,” a spokesperson said. “The Department for Education has a policy around i” (the statement was cut off in the report).

Background

The investigation into Tait has expanded to include a small government preschool in a remote Indigenous community in South Australia, with police saying Tait worked at the school in a voluntary capacity in the mid-2010s. The ABC reported that several centres have been removed from the list over the past few days after detectives confirmed Tait had no access to children during brief visits, which often focused on speaking to staff.

Police have not suggested that Tait offended at all centres named on the list. The investigation remains ongoing, with police still searching for an anonymous overseas individual who was allegedly sent abuse material.