Two Alabama day care workers are heading to prison after prosecutors say they took turns hitting young children who were supposed to be safe in their care.
Kailey Gilley and Magan Koker were each sentenced to five years behind bars as part of 20-year split sentences, followed by three years of probation, according to local reports. Neither woman will be eligible for parole during their prison terms.
Jail records show both women were booked into the Dale County Jail on October 10, 2024, after an investigation uncovered disturbing allegations of repeated abuse. Gilley was originally charged with four counts of torture or willful abuse of a child and eight counts of aggravated child abuse. Koker faced two counts of torture or willful abuse of a child and nine counts of aggravated child abuse.
In October 2025, some of the charges against both defendants were reduced as part of a blind plea agreement, meaning the judge alone determined their sentences without a negotiated recommendation.
The sentencing hearing was marked by emotional testimony from parents whose children were victimized. One mother told the court she was overcome with rage after viewing surveillance footage that allegedly showed the two women taking turns hitting her child.
That same child was later picked up from Happy Hearts Christian Academy Daycare with visible injuries, including bruising and swelling. A hospital visit quickly followed, triggering a police investigation.
Officers later confirmed that the child’s parents reported no signs of injury earlier that day. Investigators said the injuries appeared to have occurred while the child was at the daycare.
Witnesses also testified that many of the abused children were too young to speak, leaving them unable to ask for help or explain what had happened.
The daycare, which promoted itself online as a safe and supportive environment for children up to age 10, reportedly shut down following the arrests.
I wonder how will they respond if they got the same treatment