Daycare worker sentenced for child sexual touching in Sydney

A daycare worker in Sydney has been sentenced to two years in prison for sexual touching of a child. Quoc Phu Tong, 35, pleaded guilty to the offense, which took place at the Only About Children daycare in Seaforth last September. He was accused of inappropriately touching a young boy during nap time, while two other educators were present. The court heard that Tong touched the boy's groin and bottom over his clothes. After an educator warned Tong to stop, he continued the behavior before walking away. He was later arrested. During the sentencing, the victim's parents spoke about the pain their family has experienced since the incident. They described it as a "permanent scar" on their son, who has become anxious and fearful around adults. They criticized the daycare for failing to report the incident promptly, leaving them unaware of what had happened for over a week. The daycare management admitted they could have handled the situation better. They expressed their apologies to the family for the distress caused by the incident. Magistrate Daniel Reiss noted that while the touching was considered less severe, it was particularly troubling because it involved a child under Tong's care. Tong, who has a background in childhood education, showed remorse but was reminded by the court of his responsibility as an educator. He arrived at court wearing a baseball cap and face mask and was assisted by an interpreter during the proceedings.