'Feral flesh': pedophile screamed at before extradition

Ashley Paul Griffith, one of Australia's most notorious pedophiles, faced a tumultuous hearing as he was prepared for extradition. Outside Brisbane Magistrates Court, a victim supporter screamed abuse at the 48-year-old as he was led out. Griffith was jailed for life in Queensland in November 2024 after pleading guilty to over 300 child sexual offenses.

He now faces almost 200 additional charges in New South Wales, allegedly committed against 23 girls as young as 10 at a Sydney childcare center between 2014 and 2017. The extradition hearing followed a June attempt to reduce his Queensland sentence, which his lawyers argued was excessively long. Griffith's barrister noted that his client had fully cooperated with authorities from his arrest, providing numerous interviews over the years.

Griffith appeared emotionless during the hearing, wearing an ill-fitting green hooded jacket and thongs. The extradition comes as Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington and her NSW counterpart Michael Daley work together to ensure Griffith faces victims from other states. Frecklington described Griffith as a "vile piece of work" and emphasized the importance of prioritizing the victims.

Griffith's offenses included 28 counts of rape against girls aged three to five at Queensland childcare centers between 2007 and 2022. He filmed all but one of his victims, accumulating a vast cache of abuse images and videos. His actions led to a $250 million child safety overhaul in Queensland, establishing a dedicated child safeguarding body.