Emotional victim impact statements have been read to a Queensland court during a sentencing hearing for a former daycare teacher who sexually abused dozens of children over several years.
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00:00A sentencing hearing is underway for Ashley Paul Griffith here at the Brisbane District
00:06Court.
00:07Griffith was tracked down by Federal Police and arrested in 2022, several years after
00:12child exploitation material made in Australia was detected on the dark web.
00:17Earlier this year, the 46-year-old pleaded guilty to more than 300 offences, admitting
00:23to sexually abusing and recording his crimes against more than 50 girls aged between 2
00:29and 7 years old.
00:31His offending spanned across multiple daycare centres in south-east Queensland and overseas
00:37and occurred over almost two decades.
00:40During sentencing submissions, victims and their parents were given the opportunity to
00:44read statements to the court detailing the impact the offending has had on them.
00:49Some of the children, who are now adults, told the court they previously had fond memories
00:54from their time in childcare, but after finding out what happened to them, they now felt confused,
00:59disgusted and devastated.
01:02One of the victims spoke of having ongoing mental health issues and questioned how the
01:06offending could have continued for so long.
01:10Several parents spoke about the ultimate betrayal they experienced from someone they trusted
01:15and now being haunted by guilt and heartbreak at the thought of what their daughters were
01:19subjected to.
01:21Prosecutors described all of the offending as abhorrent and difficult to comprehend and
01:26asked the judge to apply the maximum penalty of life in prison.
01:30The sentencing hearing continues this afternoon with Griffith's lawyer expected to make submissions.