Childcare worker convicted of indecent treatment of child, acquitted of rape charges in Queensland
Consensus Summary
A former childcare worker named Arvind Ajay Singh, 43, was convicted of indecent treatment of a child but acquitted of rape charges after a three-day trial in Queenslandâs Maroochydore District Court. Singh, a Fiji citizen, was accused of digitally abusing a young girl at a Sunshine Coast childcare centre in 2022. His visa was cancelled after charges were filed, but he remained in Australia until deported in July 2025 before voluntarily returning in February 2026 to face trial. The jury found him guilty of a lesser charge, sentencing him to 20 months in jail with half suspended, followed by deportation. The victimâs parents described the abuse as a betrayal of trust, with one parent breaking down emotionally during court proceedings. DNA evidence was neutral, and the defence argued the childâs testimony was unreliable. The family expressed devastation over the outcome, emphasizing the need to protect children in care settings.
â Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Arvind Ajay Singh, 43, a Fiji citizen, was accused of digitally raping a child at a Queensland childcare centre in 2022
- Singh pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and indecent treatment of a child under his care
- The trial took place at Maroochydore District Court on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, in early 2026
- Singh was found not guilty of rape but guilty of one count of indecent treatment of a child under his care
- Singh was sentenced to 20 months in jail, with half (10 months) suspended before deportation to Fiji
- Singh voluntarily returned to Queensland in February 2026 to face trial after being deported in July 2025
- The victim was a young girl, and the abuse occurred at a childcare centre where children were supposed to be safe
- Singh worked at the childcare centre on a visa that was cancelled after the 2022 charges were filed
- The trial lasted three days with 10 witnesses, including the victim
- Singh was remanded in custody and surrendered his passport upon returning to Queensland
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The victimâs father stated on A Current Affair that the family had been in 'limbo land' for four years, describing the process as 'prolonged' and 'painful'
- The father said, 'What they put our daughter through was absolutely disgusting' and 'Itâs not like he snuck out the backdoor or got on a boat and left the country, someone stamped his paperwork and let an accused rapist go out the front door'
- The childâs mother praised the victim as 'incredible' and 'the bravest little girl,' saying the family had to 'fight to get him off the streets'
- The father used the phrase 'Iâd get lower if I didnât pay my taxes' in response to the verdict
- The victimâs parent described Singhâs actions as a 'deliberate exploitation of a position of trust over a vulnerable child' during court proceedings
- Judge Glen Cash called the offense 'brazen' and a 'betrayal of trust,' stating it was 'a very serious example of the charge'
- The court heard Singh incurred a debt for deportation costs and was detained in immigration detention for a month in May 2025 before deportation
- The victimâs parents read a joint impact statement to the court, saying, 'Trust was broken' and the childcare center 'promised protection'
- Crown prosecutor Alex Stark described the victimâs world as 'unicorns and teddies,' emphasizing their lack of awareness of the offense's nature
- Defence barrister Lachlan Ygoa-McKeown called the childâs evidence 'vague' and 'weak' and claimed Singh never touched the childâs underwear or genitals
- DNA testing results were reported as 'neutral' and did not support either case
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- NEWSCOMAU states Singh was deported in 2025 before his court date, while ABC clarifies he was deported in July 2025 but voluntarily returned in February 2026
- NEWSCOMAU reports Singh was sentenced to 20 months with half suspended, but does not specify the suspended portion as 10 months like ABC
- NEWSCOMAU does not mention the victimâs parentâs emotional breakdown in court, which ABC describes in detail
- NEWSCOMAU does not reference the childâs evidence being described as 'vague' and 'weak' by the defence, which ABC includes
- ABC mentions the debt incurred for deportation costs, which is not mentioned in NEWSCOMAU
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