A former childcare worker in Australia has pleaded guilty to raping and sexually abusing dozens of minors who were under his care for more than 20 years.

The worker was identified as Ashley Paul Griffith.

Ashley Paul Griffith, 46, confessed to committing 307 offences at childcare centres in Brisbane and Italy between 2003 and 2022, a Queensland court heard on Monday as quoted by BBC.

The court heard that most of the victims of the former childcare worker were below 12 years old.

Several victims and their present in the court during the hearing.

The parents of one of the young victims, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, described the "horrific" moment they were told their daughter had been sexually abused, reported ABC News.

"We see people going in [to the daycare centre now], and I [think], this happened to my child in that room," the child's mother told the news channel.

The child's father told the news channel it was "hard to believe" how someone could "get away with something like that for so long".

Australian police had arrested Griffith in 2022.