 (1).png)
Parents Share Horror at Brownsburg Daycare Investigation
A massive investigation is underway into a Brownsburg childcare facility after a former employee was accused of child molestation.
The alleged perpetrator, Gabriel Garner, is accused of inappropriately touching girls' faces while they were sleeping, taking pictures of children, and engaging in other sexual acts. Police records show that there was a blind spot in the classroom where cameras were installed.
More than 130 photos were found on Garner's phone involving young children and sexual acts, as well as around 125,000 images of pornography.
Main Street University 4 Kidz was shut down on Thursday. The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) described the closure as an emergency and sent staff to help families navigate the situation.
"It's disgusting. We don't know whether or not my child was involved, and hopefully that is not the case," said parent Hyleigh Wardlow. "I think this is a parent's worst nightmare, dealing with this, let alone the way that we had to find out."
Wardlow said Garner was in her daughter's classroom.
"I went to the police station this morning, there was another parent there. We both got there right when they opened," she said.
The detective who questioned Garner said he was laughing and claimed he "didn't know why he did it."
One teacher reported Garner's behavior after he allegedly sent a text asking if her child had a foot fetish.
"I was just at a loss, and like, ok, I'm just finding out about this. What is the next step? What do I do? How do we make sure that my daughter's safe," asked Wardlow.
The FSSA released a 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."
Attorney Catherine Michael, who is representing multiple impacted families, emphasized that daycare workers, teachers, 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 Michael. "If parents have information about this, if people witnessed it, knew about the man who was perpetrating these crimes, they need to come forward. They can certainly call our offices to provide that information as well."
Michael encourages families to reach out and vet daycare centers, having conversations with 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," said Michael. "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."
The daycare had previous issues dating back to 2022 involving improper documentation of employee training and evaluations.
If you believe your child may have been a victim of abuse at Main Street University 4 Kidz in Brownsburg, you're asked to call the DCS Hotline at 1-800-800-5556 or the Brownsburg Police Criminal Investigation Division at 317-852-1109 extension 2123.