By Joseph Olbrycht
A bombshell Herald Sun report revealed on Sunday that a man convicted of accessing nearly 1000 images of child abuse material visited multiple childcare centres while awaiting prosecution for some three years.
At one centre, he taught children about 鈥渁ncient tools such as boomerangs, stones and ochre clay鈥 and 鈥淎boriginal dance and ochre painting鈥 despite police flagging him as potentially dangerous.
The man, Ron Marks, was allowed to continue working with children because had not been charged.
Mr Littleproud, responding to the report on Sunday, called for 鈥渃ommon sense鈥 changes to child safety in childcare.
鈥淚t鈥檚 frightening, and as a father who sent his children to childcare, you do it in good faith that they鈥檙e going to be safe,鈥 he told the program.
鈥淚 get that we have this principle of presumption of innocence in this country, but we also have this thing called common sense.
鈥淎nd if someone who鈥檚 working with children is charged and you鈥檙e not normally charged unless there鈥檚 significant evidence, you still have that presumption.
鈥淏ut you should take the precautionary principle and you shouldn鈥檛 be allowed to go near children 鈥 that鈥檚 common sense.鈥
Last week, detectives arrested and charged a 26-year-old Joshua Dale Brown with more than 70 offences, including child rape and possession of child abuse material.
He was a worker at a childcare centre and had a working with children check.
Education Minister Jason Clare has vowed to introduce legislation that would let Canberra cut federal funds to childcare centres that 鈥渁ren鈥檛 up to scratch鈥 on children鈥檚 safety.
鈥淚t has taken too long for governments to act,鈥 he told Seven鈥檚 Sunrise on Thursday.
鈥淭his is sickening and it demands serious action. We鈥檝e already taken action around mobile phones in childcare centres and mandatory reporting.
鈥淏ut there鈥檚 more that we have to do 鈥 there鈥檚 a lot more we have to do.鈥