Ashley Paul Griffith, a former child care worker in Australia, has pleaded guilty to 307 charges of rape, sexual abuse, and exploitation involving dozens of girls under his care. The charges, detailed by Judge Anthony Rafter in a Brisbane courtroom, were so numerous that the reading took over two hours.
Griffith, 46, committed the offenses at child care centers in Australia and Italy between 2003 and 2022. He had previously been arrested in 2022 for creating child exploitation material and faced 1,623 charges against 91 children. Many charges were later dropped, leaving the 307 related to about 60 children, many under 12.
The charges include 190 counts of unlawful and indecent dealing with a child under 12, 28 counts of rape, 67 counts of making child exploitation material, and more. Griffith, who showed little emotion during the proceedings, remains in custody. Sentencing is scheduled for a later date and is expected to take more than two days to accommodate victim impact statements.
The victims’ families expressed relief that Griffith pleaded guilty, avoiding further trauma from a trial.
