Full List of Centres Where David William James Worked
Updated 3 July 2026: David William James has been sentenced. Details below.
A former childcare and after-school care worker, David William James, has been sentenced to a maximum of 12 years in prison, with a non-parole period of seven years, after pleading guilty to 11 charges relating to the production and possession of child abuse material. He was sentenced at Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court on 2 July 2026. His sentence was backdated to October 2024, when he was taken into custody, making him eligible to apply for parole in October 2031.
The case followed a joint investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and NSW Police under Operation Tenterfield.
What has been confirmed
James, now 28, was aged between 22 and 26 during the period covered by the charges. He worked casually across 58 out-of-school hours care (OOSH) and vacation care facilities in Sydney between 2018 and 2024, engaged through third-party staffing agency placements rather than employed directly by any single centre.
He was formerly a probationary constable with NSW Police and continued to work for the force in a civilian capacity until May 2023. NSW Police confirmed he did not seek approval for secondary employment and force management was unaware he was working in childcare concurrently.
Federal police investigators initially traced child abuse material on the dark web in June 2024, leading to James’s arrest in October 2024. While police identified evidence of offending involving 10 children across six specific Sydney care services, law enforcement released his full 58-site roster history to enable families across Sydney to undertake contact tracing.
This page does not allege that abuse occurred at any of the centres listed below. It lists every centre James is known to have been rostered at according to law enforcement disclosures, so that families can check for a possible connection and seek independent advice if needed.
Centres where James worked
No findings or allegations of wrongdoing are made against any centre, school, or provider named on this page. Centres are listed based on official law enforcement disclosures solely to help families confirm whether their child may have had contact with James, not because abuse has been confirmed to have occurred at that location.
City & Inner Sydney
- Pyrmont OSHC – City of Sydney, Pyrmont
- Ultimo OSHC – City of Sydney, Ultimo
- KGV OSHC – City of Sydney, The Rocks / Millers Point
- Gowrie NSW – Erskineville Outside of School Hours Care, Erskineville
- St Mary’s OOSH, Erskineville
- OSHClub – Fort Street Public School, Millers Point
- The Girls & Boys Brigade, Surry Hills
- Camp Australia – St Andrew’s Cathedral School, Sydney
- TheirCare – St Andrew’s Cathedral School, Sydney
Lower North Shore & Ryde
- TeamKids – ANZAC Park Public School, Cammeray / Neutral Bay catchment
- Jigsaw – ANZAC Park Public School, Cammeray / Neutral Bay catchment
- Helping Hands – Lane Cove West Public School, Lane Cove West
- Helping Hands – Willoughby Public School, Willoughby
- Willoughby Kids House, Willoughby
- Chatswood ASC & Vacation Care – Willoughby City Council, Chatswood
- Primary OSHCare – Chatswood Public School, Chatswood
- Primary OSHCare – Mowbray Public School, Lane Cove North
- Camp Australia – Artarmon Public School, Artarmon
- Cubby House – Artarmon, Artarmon
- Artarmon Before & After School Care – Willoughby City Council, Artarmon
- Gowrie NSW – North Sydney Community Vacation Care, Crows Nest / North Sydney
- Helping Hands – North Ryde
- OSHClub – Smalls Road Public School, Ryde
Upper North Shore & Ku-ring-gai
- OSHClub – Barker College, Hornsby
- OSHClub – Knox Grammar Preparatory School, Wahroonga
- Knox Grammar High School, Wahroonga
- Knox Grammar School OSHClub, Wahroonga
- Helping Hands – St Ives Park Public School, St Ives
- Primary OSHCare – St Ives Public School, St Ives
- Primary OSHCare – St Ives North Public School, St Ives
- St Ives OSHC Centre – Kidzone, St Ives
- TheirCare – Ravenswood School for Girls, Gordon
- OSHClub – Beaumont Road Public School, Killara
- OSHClub – Newington College Lindfield Prep, Lindfield
- West Lindfield Getaway Vacation Care – Ku-ring-gai Council, West Lindfield
- OSHClub – Highfields Prep School, Lindfield
- OSHClub – Hornsby South Public School, Hornsby
- Hornsby South Before & After School Care, Hornsby
- Our Lady of the Rosary OSHC, Waitara
Eastern Suburbs
- SCECS McAuley Rose Bay OSHC, Rose Bay
- Helping Hands – Bourke Street Public School, Surry Hills / East Sydney
Inner West & Canterbury-Bankstown
- Stanmore OSHC Service – Inner West Council, Stanmore
- YMCA Bankstown City, Bankstown
- YMCA NSW – Lycée Condorcet (The French International School of Sydney), Maroubra / Green Square
Northern Beaches
- Manly Vale Vacation Care – Northern Beaches Council, Manly Vale
- St Kieran’s OSHC, Manly Vale
- Camp Australia – St Luke’s Grammar School, Dee Why
- Cromer Vacation Care – Northern Beaches Council, Cromer
- Forestville Vacation Care – Northern Beaches Council, Forestville
- Primary OSHCare – Forestville Public School, Forestville
- Our Lady of Good Counsel OSHC, Forestville
- Primary OSHCare – Frenchs Forest Public School, Frenchs Forest
- Primary OSHCare – Killarney Heights Public School, Killarney Heights
- Beacon Hill Vacation Care – Northern Beaches Council, Beacon Hill
- St Martin’s OSHC, Davidson
- Uniting OSHC, Brookvale
Other Identified Services
- Bales Park OOSH Services, Willoughby
- KidsCo Australia – Virtual Holiday Program
- North Shore Coaching College
What families can do
The Australian Federal Police contacted approximately 1,200 families of children who attended facilities where James was rostered. If your child attended any of the centres listed on this page during his employment windows, you may wish to seek legal advice regarding institutional liability and survivor support options.
Koffels Solicitors & Barristers can help
At Koffels Solicitors & Barristers, we represent survivors of institutional child sexual abuse, including in childcare and education settings. We assist clients in:
- Filing civil claims against responsible institutions
- Pursuing common law damages
- Assessing the viability of National Redress Scheme applications
- Receiving confidential, trauma-informed legal advice
Call us on 02 9283 5599 or complete our free and confidential call-back form below to speak with a solicitor about your situation.
Has David William James been convicted?
Yes. James pleaded guilty to 11 charges relating to the production and possession of child abuse material and was sentenced on 2 July 2026 at Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court to a maximum of 12 years in prison, with a non-parole period of seven years.
Does my child’s centre being on this list mean abuse occurred there?
No. This page does not allege that abuse occurred at any specific centre. While police confirmed active offending at six specific locations, every centre James is known to have worked at is listed based on official disclosures so families can check for possible contact and seek advice.
What should I do if my child attended one of the listed centres?
Contact a solicitor experienced in institutional abuse claims to discuss your options. Koffels Solicitors and Barristers offers a free, confidential call-back.
What sentence did David William James receive?
A maximum of 12 years in prison with a non-parole period of seven years, backdated to October 2024. He will not be eligible for parole release before October 2031.
