A homosexual couple who were previously the subject of a gushing media profile for their foster care work in regional Victoria have been charged with child sex offences.
Andrew Clifford Grey, 28, and Daniel James Grey, 26, from Bendigo, were charged in May, but a suppression order prevented Andrew from being identified until late last month.
Both men, who were once lauded for being some of Anglicare Victoria’s youngest foster carers, have been charged with sexual activity in the presence of a child, ABC News reported.
Andrew, who worked for public healthcare provider Northern Health and was Chair of its Rainbow Sub-Committee, has also been charged with sexual assault of a child under 16, and producing, transmitting and possessing child abuse material.
Daniel, who was a trainee teacher and childcare centre cook, has also been charged with online child abuse material offences, using a carriage service to prepare or plan to engage in sexual activity with a child, and failing to disclose sexual offences against a child to police.
Daniel’s case was last month adjourned to November after his lawyer asked for more time to speak with police, and Andrew will face court again later this month.
The couple appeared in an SBS News profile in September 2022, and Andrew talked about being inspired by his parents, who were also foster carers, saying “the kids would always come so traumatised but then by the time they would leave they were in such a better place in their own lives”.
Daniel said that the accreditation process was “incredibly in-depth”, and said they had to reveal “the trauma that we’ve experienced and how we’ve moved on with that”.
The couple said their placements included children as young as six months of age, and Daniel called the experience of foster caring “life-changing”.
“It’s the small changes and accomplishments in the kids, who go from not liking touch or hugs or anything shift in a week,” he said.
Andrew appeared in photos posted by Northern Health of its employees taking part in Victoria’s state-backed Pride March in February, and was quoted in an article about the organisation’s commitment to far-left extremist gender ideology.
“It was inspiring to see both familiar and new faces marching together under the Northern Health banner and as healthcare professionals, our presence matters. By showing visibly and proudly, we reaffirm our commitment to providing care that is safe, kind and together for the LGBTIQA+ Community,” he said.
Header image: Daniel and Andrew Grey (SBS News).
