A homosexual childcare worker and former cop allegedly filmed young boys in his care to make child abuse material at six Sydney after-school centres.
David William James, 26, who attended prestigious private school Knox Grammar, has been in custody since being charged with 13 offences in October last year, but could not be identified until a non-publication court order was lifted on Thursday.
The alleged paedophile, from Artarmon in Sydney’s north, is facing 13 charges, including nine counts of aggravated use child under 14 years to make child abuse material, use child under 14 years to make child abuse material, and two counts of possess child abuse material.
Police alleged he filmed 10 boys aged between five and six while working part-time at six out-of-school hours facilities in the city centre and northern suburbs between April 2021 and May 2024, and details of the allegations are too graphic to publish.
The centres involved are Helping Hands – St Ives Public School, Helping Hands – Lane Cove West, Pyrmont OSHC – City of Sydney, OSHClub – Barker College, and St Ives OSHC Centre – KIDZONE.
More than 1,000 parents and carers from the six affected centres were contacted by police last month, and while the remaining 52 facilities have been notified police do not believe any alleged offending took place at those locations.
On Thursday NSW Police confirmed James worked as a police constable from December 2021 until September 2022, but failed to pass probation and worked as a civilian employee until resigning in May 2023.
Police were unaware he was working part-time at childcare centres, and allegedly abusing children, during that period.
“During his employment, the man failed to seek the required approval to engage in secondary employment, and as such, police were unaware of his concurrent role in the childcare sector,” NSW Police said in a statement.
The Australian Federal Police said James was arrested on September 25, 2024, when his phone and other devices were seized. He was charged with refusing to provide his passcode and granted bail, but was rearrested on October 11 after officers gained access and found alleged child abuse material.
James attended $40,000/year Knox Grammar and received multiple academic achievement awards, The Australian reported.
Full list of centres:
| Location | Dates |
| Artarmon Before and After School Care – Willoughby City Council | June 2019 |
| Bales Park OOSH Services | December 2018 |
| Beacon Hill Vacation Care – Northern Beach Council | December 2018 |
| Camp Australia – Artarmon | February – December 2022 |
| Camp Australia – St Andrews cathedral | June 2018 |
| Camp Australia – St Lukes Grammar School | April 2018 |
| Chatswood ASC & VC – Willoughby City Council | November 2018 |
| Cromer Vacation Care – Northern Beaches Council | January 2020 |
| Cubby House – Artarmon | June – August 2019 |
| Forestville Vacation Care – Northern Beaches Council | July 2018 – April 2022 |
| The Girls & Boys Brigade – Surry Hills | November 2020 |
| Gowrie NSW Erskineville Outside of School Hours Care | June 2018 February 2019 |
| Gowrie NSW North Sydney Community VC | April 2023 |
| Helping Hands – Bourke Street | March 2019 – April 2024 |
| Helping Hands – Lane Cove West | April 2018 – September 2024 |
| Helping Hands – North Ryde | May 2018 – August 2023 |
| Helping Hands – St Ives Park Public School | December 2023 – May 2024 |
| Helping Hands – Willoughby Public School | April – 2018 – December 2022 |
| Hornsby South Before and After School Care | May 2018 |
| Jigsaw – Anzac Park Public School | May 2018 |
| KGV OSHC – City of Sydney | November 2018 – April 2022 |
| KidsCo Australia – Virtual Holiday Program | July – August 2021 |
| Knox Grammar High School | March 2018 – July 2020 |
| Knox Grammar School OSHClub | May 2024 |
| Manly Vale VC – Northern Beaches Council | April 2019 – July 2022 |
| North Shore Coaching College | July 2023 – September 2024 |
| OSHClub – Barker College | May 2018 – May 2024 |
| OSHClub – Beaumont Road | May 2018 – April 2023 |
| OSHClub – Fort Street | May 2018 |
| OSHClub – Highfields | April – November 2018 |
| OSHClub – Hornsby South | August 2018 – July 2023 |
| OSHClub – Knox Grammar Preparatory | May 2018 – February 2020 |
| OSHClub – Newington Lindfield | February 2020 |
| OSHClub – Smalls Road | February 2022 – August 2023 |
| Our Lady of Good Counsel OSHC – Forestville | August 2018 – March 2019 |
| Our Lady of the Rosary OSHC – Waitara | October 2018 |
| Primary OSHCare – Chatswood | September 2019 – March 2020 |
| Primary OSHCare – Forestville | February 2021 |
| Primary OSHCare – Frenchs Forest | September 2022 |
| Primary OSHCare – Killarney Heights | January 2023 |
| Primary OSHCare – Mowbray | March 2020 – May 2024 |
| Primary OSHCare – St Ives | July 2021 – January 2024 |
| Primary OSHCare – St Ives North | February – March 2024 |
| Pyrmont OSHC – City of Sydney | October 2018 – July 2022 |
| SCECS – OSHC Rose Bay | January – May 2023 |
| St Kierans OSHC – Manly Vale | May 2018 – February 2019 |
| St Martin’s Davidson OSHC | September 2018 |
| St Mary’s OOSH – Erskineville | December 2020 |
| Stanmore OSHC Service – Inner West Council | July – August 2018 |
| TeamKids – ANZAC Park Public School | February 2021 – June 2023 |
| TheirCare – Ravenswood School for Girls | May 2023 |
| TheirCare – St Andrew’s Cathedral School | December 2020 |
| Ultimo OSHC – City of Sydney | July 2018 – September 2024 |
| Uniting OSHC Brookvale | July 2023 |
| West Lindfield Getaway – Vacation Care – Ku-ring-gai Municipal Council | April 2018 |
| Willoughby Kids House | July 2023 |
| YMCA Bankstown City | July 2018 |
| YMCA NSW – Lycee Condorcet | July – August 2023 |
Header image: David William James in 2015, and in his Year 12 yearbook photo.
