On July 28, 2025, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office received a report from a mother who believed her 6-year-old daughter may have been sexually abused while attending the Mather Childcare Center located on 11154 Graeton Circle in Mather.

The facility primarily serves members of the Turkish immigrant community, where many employees, children, and families have limited English proficiency. The Sheriff’s Child Abuse Bureau, in coordination with the California Department of Social Services – Community Care Licensing Division, immediately opened an investigation.

Detectives arranged for specialized forensic interviews in Turkish for the child, during which information emerged suggesting there may be additional victims, including current and former attendees of the daycare.

On August 22, 2025, Child Abuse Bureau Detectives arrested 26-year-old Gokhan Bagci on four counts of PC 288(b)(1) – Lewd and Lascivious Acts with a Child Under 14 by Force or Fear.

Bagci, a Turkish national, had previously been removed from the United States by Customs and Border Protection in November 2023 and again in September 2024. Due to his immigration history and risk of flight, the Sheriff’s Office requested that Bagci be held without bail. The Court granted that request, and he remains in custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail.

Child sexual abuse is significantly underreported, and cases within immigrant communities are often even less likely to come forward. Detectives believe there may be additional victims connected to Bagci and the Mather Childcare Center and strongly encourage anyone with information to come forward. Members of the public with information are urged to contact the Sheriff’s Child Abuse Bureau at (916) 874-5191 or by email at childabuse@sacsheriff.com