Australian Federal Police (AFP) have renewed their appeal for public assistance to identify potential victims of former Sydney childcare worker Hamish Tait, who is accused of more than 300 child abuse offences.
New image of unidentified boy released
On Friday, the AFP announced that images of a young boy had been found on an electronic device seized during the investigation. The boy is believed to have been photographed between March 2020 and July 2025.
According to the AFP, the boy was “wearing Bluey-branded underwear and appears to have a distinctive freckle or mole on their body”. Due to the sensitive nature of the images, they cannot be publicly released, but police hope the description may spark recognition.
Earlier appeal for clothing items
A previous appeal in July featured images of clothing worn by unidentified children, including a two-tone shirt, a puffer vest with a distinctive dinosaur pattern, and shorts with a blue pattern. Detectives are still searching for the child wearing the two-tone t-shirt, whose photo was likely taken on January 9, 2018, at a Putney childcare centre.
The AFP noted that the other two boys photographed were “already known” to detectives.
Investigation details
Police allege Tait’s offences occurred from 2009 to 2025 across 62 childcare centres he worked at or attended in Sydney. “We appreciate the information shared with the community may appear limited, however, any clue may assist with victim identification,” said AFP Detective Acting Inspector Emmanuel Tsardoulias. “We thank the public for their cooperation, patience and support as we continue to make inquiries.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact the multi-agency Local Contact Point, open until July 26, or the AFP after that date.
