Joshua Brown, accused of offences involving children connected to childcare work, pleads not guilty to more than 150 charges in a Melbourne court. Multiple outlets report the plea is entered across all matters listed before the court. The defence says the position is not necessarily a final stance on which specific charges will be contested. According to reporting from The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Brown’s lawyer characterises the plea as a “holding plea” while the prosecution and defence determine which charges should proceed.
Separate coverage in The West Australian also describes Brown telling the court he is prepared to accept “a significant amount of the offending” alleged against him, while still pleading not guilty to all charges. The accounts are consistent that Brown maintains a not-guilty plea at this stage, with further steps in the case expected as the parties narrow or confirm the charges that will go ahead.
