BROWNSBURG — A Brownsburg daycare has been shut down after the arrest of a former employee following an investigation described as "massive" by Brownsburg Police.
Gabriel Garner, 22, is facing 43 counts of child molest, child exploitation, vicarious sexual gratification and possession of child pornography, stemming from an investigation that began in April. Brownsburg police said they identified six total child victims of exploitation.
His charges are as follows:
(1) Level 1 Felony count for Child Molest
(30) Level 4 Felony counts for Child Exploitation
(10) Level 4 Felony counts for Child Molest
(1) Level 4 Felony counts for Vicarious Sexual Gratification
(1) Level 5 Felony count for Possession of Child Pornography
State records show the daycare, Main Street University 4 Kidz, was also cited for "failing to report three incidents involving a caregiver."
According to a probable cause affidavit, a teacher at the daycare initially reported the incidents involving Garner, a teacher at the day care, to the Department of Child Services on April 2.
The report included claims that Garner inappropriately touched a 5-year-old girl and asked another 5-year-old to kiss him. Additionally, a disturbing text message was allegedly sent to a teacher regarding her 3-year-old daughter.
During the investigation, detectives learned from involved children, including a 5-year-old girl, who reported that Garner had asked her to touch him inappropriately.
Concerned parents who sought to understand the situation further discussed their concerns with the daycare before involving the police.
However, they were reportedly told that previous complaints against Garner made by other children had been recanted.
The daycare management reportedly showed the parents surveillance footage intended to clear Garner, and made statements such as "See how that isn't possible?"
The mother noted that the surveillance footage had a blind spot, where her daughter said the abuse occurred.
In her interview with DCS, the mother noted behavioral changes after the incident. She said her daughter had trouble sleeping and would reportedly get up every day for at least 12 weeks during the time frame she said the abuse happened.
According to the affidavit, the teacher who initially reported the incidents expressed frustration over the management's handling of the allegations and confronted them in two recorded conversations.
They told her that they do in-house investigations, and if the child does not act out and there is no proof on video, they do not contact DCS. They allegedly also discussed all three incidents involving Garner in the conversations.
When detectives interviewed Garner, they noted signs of nervousness. He ultimately confessed to asking the girl to touch him, but denied the kissing incident.
During questioning, Garner stated, “I had a rough upbringing,” and when asked if he understood the potential implications of his actions, stated, “Of course.”
Garner reportedly became anxious when detectives mentioned that they would obtain a search warrant to examine his devices.
Using the warrant, police found significant amounts of concerning material related to child exploitation in Garner's phone, including over 130 photos of sexually explicit images of children at the day care ranging in 3 to 5 years of age, and approximately 125,000 images of child pornography.
He was also allegedly in a group message with other child pornographers trading images.
In the wake of the alleged sexual abuse that took place at Main Street University 4 Kidz, Attorneys Tammy Meyer and Catherine Michael have been retained to represent some of the families of victims.
"Parents should know that daycare workers, teachers, doctors, and most people in Indiana are mandated reporters, and that means that if they suspect or know of abuse, they need to contact the Department of Child Services or they need to contact the police," said Attorney Catherine Michael. "And this is a case, along with the families we're learning about this, but this is a case in which we're discovering many parents had their concerns brushed off or suspected things, and unfortunately, those didn't get addressed when they should have."
Michael said that while it doesn't guarantee safety, the best thing parents can do is extensively research potential daycares and have conversations with their children about "bad touch."
"Even those things unfortunately don't guarantee safety, which is what a lot of the families in this situation are discovering is that you can do everything right, and still have these types of tragedies happen to your child, but that is where really teaching your child about good touch, bad touch, and getting them to be as vocal as possible can be helpful," she said.
The Indiana Family & Social Services Administration has filed to immediately close the daycare after the allegations. The filing states that the division reviewed evidence suggesting that the daycare's management was informed of possible abuse and failed to report it.
FSSA issued this statement:
"We are deeply shocked and saddened by the events that have come to light, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families. In response, the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning has taken swift action, issuing an emergency closure order for this facility, effective immediately and remaining in place until further notice."
"As law enforcement continues its work, our focus remains on supporting affected families. To ensure they receive the assistance they need, we have staff on-site to help families secure alternative childcare and access critical resources as they navigate this difficult time."
Main Street University 4 Kidz is a privately owned, licensed daycare center that opened in 2011, according to its website. It was licensed for 83 children from the ages of 6 weeks to 10 years old.
The daycare has had previous issues dating back to 2022 involving improper documentation of employee training and evaluations.
In an email sent on Thursday, Brownsburg Police said they "have been inundated with walk-ins, calls, and emails from scared and concerned parents who believe their child is/was a potential victim." Additionally, they said they have identified all the known victims.
If you believe your child was a victim of abuse, authorities are asking you to call the DCS hotline at 1-800-800-5556, or the Brownsburg Police Criminal Investigation Division at 317-852-1109, extension 2123.
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