Legal action is being taken by the relatives of victims at the core of claims of sexual abuse at a daycare in Brownsburg.
Attorneys Tammy Meyer and Catherine Michael are defending the families of children who police think were sexually exploited by 22-year-old Gabriel Garner during his employment at Main Street University 4 Kidz, according to a news release.
Garner was reportedly taken into custody and checked into the Hendricks County Jail on Tuesday. Garner is facing a preliminary accusation of abusing a minor under the age of 14, according to the jail logs.
According to court records, when Garner was employed at the daycare, Brownsburg police allegedly found hundreds of photos showing him engaging in sexual activity with minors.
Investigators were able to retrieve more than 130 geo-tagged photos from Garner’s phone at the daycare. Over 125,000 pornographic photos were also found as a result of the examination into Garner’s phone. How many of the 125,000 images were taken at Main Street University 4 Kidz is still unknown.
After receiving a report that Garner had written an inappropriate message to a student’s guardian in April, inquiring if the guardian had a “foot fetish,” police started looking into the matter. According to court filings, this concerned a youngster in Garner’s custody who insisted on touching his sock.
According to authorities, Garner was laughing and grinning as he discussed the accusations when he was taken in for interrogation.
Detectives discovered during their investigation that several daycare employees had reportedly neglected to notify the Indiana Department of Child Services or the police about Garner’s alleged inappropriate actions.
The daycare was closed Thursday morning by the Family and Social Services Administration and Indiana State Police as a result of the investigation.
“We are devastated for these families, and horrified by the magnitude of this abuse,” said attorney Catherine Michael. “No child should ever endure what these children have suffered, especially in a daycare setting that is supposed to protect them and ensure their safety. The betrayal of trust here is unspeakable. The emotional and psychological damage inflicted on these children and their families is incalculable. These aren’t just legal claims they are lives forever changed. These cases will not quietly fade away. We will hold every responsible party accountable under the full weight of the law.”
Garner is scheduled for her initial hearing in Hendricks Superior Court 4 on Friday, citing court documents available online.
