A male before- and after-school care staffer who was previously a New South Wales police officer has been charged with producing abuse material of children in his care, with authorities releasing a list of almost 60 facilities where he worked.
The Australian federal police allege 26-year-old David William James produced child abuse material of 10 children, aged between five and six, during his employment at six out-of-school hours (OOSH) care services in the northern suburbs of Sydney over three years, from April 2021 to May 2024.
The AFP said there was no evidence to suggest alleged offending took place at any of the facilities James worked at beyond the six identified by authorities.
“It is important to note that all of the impacted families have been contacted by the AFP and NSW Health,” the AFP said.
James was remanded in custody in October 2024; however, the accusations against him were only made public on Thursday after a court-ordered non-publication order was lifted.
He has been charged with 13 offences, including nine counts of aggravated use of a child under 14 to make child abuse material; one count of using a child under 14 to make child abuse material; two counts of possessing child abuse material; and one count of contravening a warrant.
James was initially arrested and charged with refusing to provide police with passcodes to his devices. After police gained access, officers located child abuse material and he was again arrested, the AFP alleged on Thursday.
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James worked with children as far back as 2018 across 58 different after-school and vacation care services across Sydney, according to police.
“AFP investigators have carefully scrutinised the available evidence to identify the scale and scope of the alleged offending,” the AFP acting assistant commissioner Brett James said.
“There is no evidence to suggest the man’s alleged offending took place in out-of-school-hours facilities or other care providers which have not yet been contacted by law enforcement.”
James worked at Knox Grammar high school from March 2018 to July 2020 and the YMCA in Bankstown in July 2018. His work history also shows he worked at OOSH services in Stanmore, Ultimo, Erskineville, St Ives and Fort Street.
(March 1, 2018) KidsCo Australia – Virtual Holiday Program
(April 1, 2018) Camp Australia – St Lukes Grammar School
(April 1, 2018) Helping Hands – Lane Cove West
(April 1, 2018) Helping Hands – Willoughby Public School
(April 1, 2018) West Lindfield Getaway – Vacation Care – Ku-ring-gai Municipal Council
(April 1, 2018) OSHClub – Highfields
(May 1, 2018) Helping Hands – North Ryde
(May 1, 2018) Hornsby South Before and After School Care
(May 1, 2018) Jigsaw – Anzac Park Public School
(May 1, 2018) OSHClub – Knox Grammar Preparatory
(May 1, 2018) St Kierans OSHC – Manly Vale
(May 1, 2018) OSHClub – Fort Street
(May 1, 2018) OSHClub – Barker College
(May 1, 2018) OSHClub – Beaumont Road
(June 1, 2018) Camp Australia – St Andrews cathedral
(June 1, 2018) Gowrie NSW Erskineville Outside of School Hours Care
(July 1, 2018) Stanmore OSHC Service – Inner West Council
(July 1, 2018) YMCA Bankstown City
(July 1, 2018) Forestville Vacation Care – Northern Beaches Council
(July 1, 2018) Ultimo OSHC – City of Sydney
(August 1, 2018) OSHClub – Hornsby South
(August 1, 2018) Our Lady of Good Counsel OSHC – Forestville
(September 1, 2018) St Martin’s Davidson OSHC
(October 1, 2018) Pyrmont OSHC – City of Sydney
(October 1, 2018) Our Lady of the Rosary OSHC – Waitara
(November 1, 2018) Chatswood ASC & VC – Willoughby City Council
(November 1, 2018) KGV OSHC – City of Sydney
(December 1, 2018) Bales Park OOSH Services
(December 1, 2018) Beacon Hill Vacation Care – Northern Beach Council
(March 1, 2019) Helping Hands – Bourke Street
(April 1, 2019) Manly Vale VC – Northern Beaches Council
(June 1, 2019) Artarmon Before and After School Care – Willoughby City Council
(June 1, 2019) Cubby House – Artarmon
(September 1, 2019) Primary OSHCare – Chatswood
(January 1, 2020) Cromer Vacation Care – Northern Beaches Council
(February 1, 2020) OSHClub – Newington Lindfield
(March 1, 2020) Primary OSHCare – Mowbray
(November 1, 2020) The Girls & Boys Brigade – Surry Hills
(December 1, 2020) TheirCare – St Andrew’s Cathedral School
(December 1, 2020) St Mary’s OOSH – Erskineville
(February 1, 2021) Primary OSHCare – Forestville
(February 1, 2021) TeamKids – ANZAC Park Public School
(July 1, 2021) KidsCo Australia – Virtual Holiday Program
(July 1, 2021) Primary OSHCare – St Ives
(February 1, 2022) OSHClub – Smalls Road
(February 1, 2022) Camp Australia – Artarmon
(September 1, 2022) Primary OSHCare – Frenchs Forest
(January 1, 2023) Primary OSHCare – Killarney Heights
(January 1, 2023) SCECS – OSHC Rose Bay
(April 1, 2023) Gowrie NSW North Sydney Community VC
(July 1, 2023) North Shore Coaching College
(July 1, 2023) Uniting OSHC Brookvale
(July 1, 2023) Willoughby Kids House
(July 1, 2023) YMCA NSW – Lycee Condorcet
(February 1, 2024) Primary OSHCare – St Ives North
(May 1, 2024) Knox Grammar School OSHClub
(May 1, 2025) TheirCare – Ravenswood School for Girls
(December 1, 2024) Helping Hands – St Ives Park Public School
The AFP said the families of all alleged victims had been contacted.
“This process resulted in letters being sent on 18 June 2025 to parents and carers of children who attended six Sydney-based care services where the man had been employed and where evidence of offending was identified by the AFP,” the police said in a statement on Thursday.
NSW police confirmed on Thursday that James was a former officer. The force said he was employed as a probationary constable from December 2021 to September 2022.
After failing to complete his probation, he stayed employed with the force in a civilian capacity until his resignation in May 2023.
NSW police said that during his employment, James failed to seek the required approval to engage in secondary employment, therefore the “police were unaware of his concurrent role in the childcare sector”.
“We acknowledge the seriousness of the allegations and condemn any behaviour that places our community’s most vulnerable members at risk,” NSW police said in a statement.
“The NSWPF will continue to assist the AFP in its investigation and to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all affected individuals. As this remains an ongoing investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
Brett James said police were “committed to supporting those families whose children’s innocence was allegedly violated by a man trusted to take care of them”.
“Any form of child sexual abuse is confronting. Even more so when the alleged perpetrator is an individual trusted with the care of our youth,” he said.
“If parents are concerned, please visit the website dedicated to supporting families and the community seeking further information about the AFP investigation.”
James is due to appear in court on 21 August.
During question time in parliament on Thursday, the education minister, Jason Clare, addressed the allegations against James, saying it was why the government’s childcare bill to improve child safety in the sector was so important.
“The sickening (alleged) news we heard from the Australian federal police in the last few hours is a reminder of why this is so important,” he said.
“There is a lot of work we need to do together to rebuild trust and confidence in the system that parents need to have confidence in.”
Clare and the attorney general, Michelle Rowland, will meet their state and territory counterparts next month to reform the working with children checks system and discuss rules around CCTV footage.
Sussan Ley stood up afterward and said the government had done good work but that the “next part is very difficult”.
“Sitting down with the states and territories, as we have all done in ministerial positions in the past, can descend into a talkfest and ministers depart to their state and nothing happens. We cannot afford to have that this time,” she said.
