Australian childcare worker charged with sex abuse of 91 children

A former Australian childcare worker has been charged with more than 1,600 offences after allegedly sexually abusing 91 children, filming it, then distributing the content online.

Police allege the man preyed on young girls over a 15-year period at a dozen centres in Australia and abroad.

He was arrested in August 2022, but it has taken police a year to investigate and identify alleged victims.

Authorities say it is one of the most "horrific" cases they have ever seen.

The 45-year-old man is facing 246 counts of rape and 673 counts of indecent assault against children - many of them in aggravated circumstances.

The most serious charges carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

He also faces hundreds of charges for filming and distributing child abuse material. Police allege he recorded all of his abuse, and say they found 4000 images and videos on his electronic devices.

The offending allegedly occurred in 10 childcare centres in Queensland, and one each in New South Wales and an unnamed overseas country. The man worked at other childcare centres, but the Australian Federal Police (AFP) says it is "highly confident" he did not offend at those centres.

Speaking to media on Tuesday, AFP Assistant Commissioner Justine Gough said the case would be "deeply distressing" for the community.

"It's beyond the realms of anyone's imagination, what this person did to these children. You try not to be shocked after a long period of time in the police... but this is a horrific case," she said.