A former Sydney childcare worker has been charged with a further 115 alleged child abuse offences, taking the total number of charges against him to 444, according to the Australian Federal Police.
Hamish Tait, 35, is accused of offending against children known to him and children who attended early childhood education facilities in Sydney’s north-west where he worked or attended between 2009 and 2025.
The new allegations are part of Operation Moonbi, a large investigation that began after Australian authorities received information from the United States about an online user allegedly uploading child abuse material. Mr Tait remains in custody and is due to return to Parramatta Local Court on October 8.
What the additional charges allege
The latest charges comprise 105 counts of producing child abuse material, one count of carrying out a sexual act with a child under 10, five counts of filming a person engaged in a private act in circumstances of aggravation, and four counts of possessing child abuse material.
They add to charges previously brought during the investigation, including allegations of producing child abuse material, filming people engaged in private acts without consent, and using a child under 14 for the production of abuse material.
All allegations remain before the courts. Mr Tait is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until proven guilty.
Police say no additional alleged victims identified
The AFP said the 115 new charges relate to alleged victims who had already been identified, and that the overall number of identified alleged victims has not increased with this announcement.
Investigators previously said they had contacted 121 families whose children were identified in material and alleged that the case involved 136 victims. Some people identified during the investigation may now be adults because the alleged offending stretches back more than 15 years.
Police have also previously alleged that Mr Tait worked at or attended 62 early childhood education facilities during the period under investigation. The allegations concern five facilities in Sydney’s north-west as well as children personally known to him.
Investigation involved millions of files
Operation Moonbi began in June 2025 after the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alerted Australian authorities to an online account allegedly uploading child abuse material.
Police later seized electronic devices from Mr Tait’s home in Sydney’s north-west. Investigators have said the year-long operation required the analysis of about 2.4 million electronic files and involved 12 search warrants.
The AFP arrested and first charged Mr Tait in July 2025. He has remained on remand since then while investigators continued examining seized material and preparing further allegations.
The scale and duration of the investigation have placed renewed attention on child-safety safeguards in early education settings, as well as the difficult work of identifying alleged victims in large digital evidence collections. Authorities have stressed that the latest charging development does not mean that more alleged victims have been found.
Next court appearance
The case is scheduled to return to Parramatta Local Court on October 8, 2026. The court process will determine how the hundreds of charges proceed and provide an opportunity for the accused to respond to the allegations.
Families affected by the investigation are being supported through the ongoing police process. People seeking support relating to sexual assault or family violence can contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. Children and young people aged five to 25 can contact Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.
