Childcare employee Ashley Paul Griffith who raped 70 ladies aged between one and 7 all over the world is jailed for all times for ‘wicked’ and ‘horrendous’ abuse – as element of how he gave himself away is revealed
A former childcare worker described as ‘one of Australia’s worst paedophiles’ has been sentenced to life in prison for hundreds of horrific sex offences committed over nearly two decades.
Ashley Paul Griffith, 47, admitted to 307 offences, including 28 counts of rape committed between 2003 and 2022.
His victims were predominantly girls aged between one and seven, with the youngest just 12 months old, according to police.
He carried out his heinous crimes primarily at childcare centres in Queensland, Australia, but also in the region of New South Wales and even across the world in Pisa, Italy, where four of his victims were identified.
Investigators uncovered thousands of photographs and videos he had filmed depicting the deplorable abuse. Many were uploaded to the dark web where Griffith was granted ‘VIP user’ status, sharing content with other paedophiles and advising them on how to abuse children.
Australian Federal Police first arrested Griffith in August 2022 after painstakingly reviewing the horrific content he had created.
Griffith had cropped his face and any distinguishing features out of the material, but investigators managed to trace the footage back to him due to a distinctive set of bedsheets that they learned had been sold primarily to childcare centres across Queensland.
After charging him in 2023, senior officer Michael Fitzgerald said it was ‘one of the most horrific cases’ of child abuse the police force had seen.
‘It’s beyond the realms of anyone’s imagination what this person did to these children,’ he said at the time.
Ashley Paul Griffith pleaded guilty to 307 charges against him
He carried out his heinous crimes primarily at childcare centres in Queensland , Australia, but also in the region of New South Wales and even across the world in Pisa, Italy
Griffith was charged with over 1,600 child sex offences, though most of these charges were later dropped as part of the legal proceedings.
In an emotionally charged hearing, victims and their families shared harrowing impact statements.
One mother, whose identity is protected by law, said: ‘The only time she was away from me was when I placed her in your hands, which is something I’ll regret for the rest of my life.’
Another parent lamented that their daughter’s ‘innocent childhood had been taken away’ because of Griffith’s offending.
‘(You were the) one who was supposed to keep them safe in a childhood centre,’ the parent said.
‘I now look at every male teacher or carer with suspicion. Nowhere is safe.’
Among the victims were two sisters abused by Griffiths.
One, who once considered Griffith her favourite teacher, said: ‘To find out what he was really doing was devastating. I don’t seem to be able to process it even now because there’s a disconnect between what I remember and the reality,’ she said in quotes carried by The Courier Mail.
Another survivor described how the abuse had left her grappling with mental illness: ‘I will never know what my life could have been like. I can never know what it would have been to grow up unafraid of people,’ she told The Guardian Australia.
One father shared: ‘I feel grief and anger because I failed in my duty to protect my family.’
Another mother revealed how she had tried to shield her daughter from the knowledge of the abuse: ‘I cannot undo what you did to her body, but I will do everything I can to limit the damage to her mind.’
The case has also raised serious concerns about systemic failures within Australia’s childcare industry as families outside the courtroom called for an investigation into how Griffith was able to operate undetected for so long.
Griffith had passed the stringent series of background checks needed to work at childcare centres in the states of Queensland and New South Wales.
‘Parents are walking their children into these centres today with a false sense of security,’ one father warned.
The 47-year-old had been offending since 2003
The parents of a victim (centre, blurred) talk to the media outside the Brisbane District Court amid proceedings against Ashley Paul Griffith
Judge Paul Smith acknowledged the lasting damage, stating: ‘There is no doubt there have been significant effects on many people. The harm inflicted on families will never be erased.’
Griffith’s sentencing also highlighted the chilling extent of his manipulation.
Judge Smith noted that Griffith often gave his victims iPads to distract them, mocked them when they resisted, and denied his offences during 13 police interviews before eventually cooperating to a limited extent.
Griffith appeared in Brisbane District Court on Friday for the completion of his sentencing, where Judge Smith called his crimes ‘depraved and horrendous,’ highlighting the ‘significant breach of trust’ involved.
Judge Smith imposed a non-parole period of 27 years, stating Griffith was at a ‘high risk of reoffending’ due to his ‘paedophilic disorder.’
Griffith has been in custody for 831 days since his arrest and will be eligible for parole in 2049.
However, given the nature and scale of his crimes, it is clear the impact on his victims and their families will endure far longer.
