Twice-Deported Man Arrested on Four Child Abuse Counts at Sacramento Daycare

Sacramento, California – Gokhan Bagci, a 26-year-old Turkish national, was arrested on August 22, 2025, facing four counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 by force or fear. The arrest followed a report made on July 28, 2025, by a mother who suspected her 6-year-old daughter was being sexually abused while attending the Mather Childcare Center in Sacramento.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Child Abuse Bureau, in collaboration with the California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division, initiated an investigation. During interviews with the child, information emerged suggesting that there might be additional victims among current and former attendees of the daycare. "Based on information that the little girl disclosed during her interview, we believe there could be potential other victims," stated Sgt. John Sydow, Supervisor of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office Child Abuse Bureau.

Authorities revealed that Bagci had been removed from the United States by Customs and Border Protection twice previously, first in November 2023 and again in September 2024. Due to his immigration history and assessed risk of flight, the Sheriff’s Office requested that he be held without bail, a request that was granted by a judge. Bagci is currently held at the Sacramento County Main Jail.

The Mather Childcare Center, which primarily served the Turkish immigrant community, has since been ordered to close with a "Closed for Business" notice posted on August 26, indicating a temporary license suspension due to "an immediate risk to children." Questions have arisen regarding how Bagci, despite his deportation history, received fingerprint clearance from the Department of Social Services to work at the facility.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office emphasized that child sexual abuse is significantly underreported, particularly within immigrant communities, where cases are often less likely to come forward. Detectives are urging anyone with further information or who believes their child may have been a victim to contact authorities, as the investigation into potential additional victims continues.