Mather day care worker faces child sex abuse charges; more may have been abused
A Mather child care worker is in Sacramento County Main Jail, accused of child sexual abuse charges, and authorities are warning of potentially more victims in the Turkish immigrant community he served.
Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies arrested Gokhan Bagci, 26, on Aug. 22, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Bagci worked at Mather Childcare Center, the Graeton Circle day care facility that largely serves the area’s Turkish immigrant community, and where, authorities said, many families and their children have limited English proficiency. Sheriff’s officials said the mother of the 6-year-old child at the center reported the alleged abuse to the Sheriff’s Office in July, triggering the investigation into Bagci.
Sheriff’s child abuse detectives and the state’s Department of Social Services took on the case. Turkish-language interviews with the child drew out more allegations of perhaps more victims, said officials.
“Information emerged suggesting there may be additional victims, including current and former attendees of the day care,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Thursday.
Bagci remains held without bail on four felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child younger than 14 by force or fear, the Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday. He next appears on the charges Sept. 12 in Sacramento Superior Court.
Bagci, twice removed from the U.S. by federal Customs and Border Protection officials in November 2023, and again, less than a year later in September 2024, was deemed a flight risk following his arrest, prompting a Sacramento Superior Court judge to order the Turkish national held without bail.
“Child sexual abuse is significantly underreported and cases within immigrant communities are even less likely to come forward,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Thursday. “Detectives believe there may be additonal victims connected to Bagci and the Mather Childcare Center and strongly encourage anyone with information to come forward.”
Investigators are urging anyone with information to contact the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Child Abuse Bureau at 916-874-5191 or via email at childabuse@sacsheriff.com.
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