Childcare worker Ashley Griffith

The charges spanned across childcare centres throughout Brisbane from 2007 to 2022, and included the alleged rape and indecent treatment of several girls younger than 12.

Griffith’s indictment was presented to the District Court in July this year, with the reduced number of 320 charges.

Crown prosecutor Stephanie Gallagher dropped 13 charges relating to the indecent treatment of a child on Monday morning, bringing the total to 307.

Griffith had all the necessary qualifications for his job as a childcare worker, but his offending went undetected, police said last year.

Outside court, the parents of one victim questioned how the childcare system had failed to detect his offending.

“We certainly feel there’s something broken in the system … it’s hard to believe that it’s being run as effectively as it could be,” the parents said.

“We see people taking their little kids [into the childcare centre] and I go, this happened to my child in that room, it’s a room full of horrors.

“It was good that it was a guilty plea, we can move onto the next step now. It would’ve been awful if he pleaded innocent, and then we had to go through that.”

The parents said they would be disappointed if there was any eligibility for parole in Griffith’s sentencing.

Judge Anthony Rafter ordered for a pre-sentence report, including a psychological assessment to be prepared, with the case adjourned to next Monday to determine Griffith’s sentencing date.

He was remanded in custody and his legal team made no application for bail.

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