A mother whose children attend one of the childcare centres where Hamish Tait worked has described the trauma experienced by her family after learning about the serious allegations against the 35-year-old.
Tait is facing 329 charges relating to alleged offences committed between 2009 and 2025. According to the Australian Federal Police, 136 alleged victims have been identified, while another 22 people found in the material examined by investigators have not yet been identified.
The allegations have not been proven in court. Tait is presumed innocent unless and until found guilty.
“We didn’t sleep for days”
Morgan, 33, asked for her surname not to be published while the court proceedings remain under way. Her two children attend one of the centres where Tait previously worked.
She said the centre’s management informed her directly about the case.
“When they told me, I didn’t sleep for days. It was traumatic. My voice breaks every time I talk about it because it feels like every parent’s worst nightmare becoming a reality,” she said.
According to Morgan, Tait worked at the centre’s reception desk and was not employed as an educator. He was nevertheless known to families and had access to areas used by children. He also allegedly used a professional camera for activities connected with the centre’s social media and communications.
“We knew nothing. He was someone many people trusted,” Morgan said.
Operation Moonbi investigation
The investigation, known as Operation Moonbi, began in June 2025 after the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alerted Australian authorities to a user suspected of uploading illegal material.
During a search of a property in Glossodia, north-west Sydney, investigators seized 25 electronic devices.
Authorities examined about 2.5 million digital files in an operation involving investigators, forensic specialists and victim-identification teams.
Charges brought by federal police
The allegations include the production of child abuse material, non-consensual recordings and other serious alleged offences involving children.
The AFP has contacted numerous families in Australia and overseas. Because the alleged conduct covers a period of 16 years, some of the alleged victims may now be adults.
Investigators are continuing their efforts to identify another 22 people. Families concerned about possible contact with the accused have been encouraged to consult the official information published about his employment history.
Sixty-two childcare facilities reviewed
According to the AFP, Tait worked at or had access to 62 early-childhood education facilities between 2009 and 2025, mainly in north-west Sydney.
Police have stressed that a centre’s inclusion on the list does not mean an offence necessarily occurred there.
The alleged offending under investigation is believed to have taken place at five facilities: Fit Kidz Learning Centres in Box Hill, Putney, Rouse Hill and Warrawee, and Wild Earthlings Glenorie.
Fit Kidz responds
Fit Kidz said it was shocked, disgusted, saddened and deeply sorry for the pain experienced by families. The operator said supporting those affected and strengthening child-protection measures would remain its priorities.
Morgan said she continued to trust the centre’s other employees and owners, praising their professionalism. She acknowledged, however, how difficult it was to accept that someone known and trusted within a childcare environment could face such serious allegations.
Families face fear and uncertainty
The investigation has left many parents struggling with difficult questions. Families want to know what contact Tait may have had with their children and whether photographs or incidents that have not yet come to light could exist.
The case has also renewed debate about employee screening, access to areas used by children and the use of phones and cameras inside childcare facilities.
Rebuilding confidence will require transparency, meaningful support for affected families and rigorous safeguards that place children’s safety above every other consideration.