New warrant reveals a sixth alleged victim in Avon daycare sexual assault case
Police have filed another arrest warrant against a former Avon daycare worker accused of sexually assaulting children at an Avon daycare, alleging he abused a sixth child at the facility.
The warrant for 29-year-old Jan Carlos Berrios-Otero would add charges of fourth-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a child involving a 4-year-old boy who attended the BrightPath Avon Early Learning and Child Care Center.
The new case would bring the total number of alleged victims identified in the criminal investigation to six.
Berrios-Otero was first arrested on April 1 after an administrator contacted officers and said she believed an incident between him and a child had occurred inside the center.
Investigators later reviewed surveillance footage and filed additional charges involving several other children.
According to the latest warrant, this child had been enrolled in Berrios-Otero’s classroom for about a year. Police said a parent of the child recalled that in early March, before the investigation became public, her son made comments suggesting that “Mr. John,” the name children used for Berrios-Otero, had touched his genitals.
The parent told police that this happened four weeks before the initial complaint was reported against Berrios-Otero, according to the warrant.
A parent of the boy in this warrant said their child told them that the touching occurred during nap time after his cot had been moved to a corner of the room.
The parent also told police that Berrios-Otero had offered to babysit their child, according to the warrant.
“One common theme in meeting and speaking with victim’s families is that Berrios Otero almost always attempts to get into the home of the families to babysit,” the warrant reads.
A review of surveillance footage identified multiple incidents involving young boys aged 3 to 5 during nap time. Police allege Berrios-Otero would position children in cots in areas of the classroom that provided a degree of privacy and place his hands under blankets covering the children.
The warrant also states that additional parents came forward after Berrios-Otero’s arrest became public, reporting similar concerns involving their children.
Some parents said they had previously noticed injuries on their children but did not suspect sexual abuse until learning of the allegations against Berrios-Otero, the warrant stated.
Berrios-Otero has previously been charged in connection with five alleged victims. The investigation remains ongoing.
The allegations have also led to multiple civil lawsuits against Busy Bees, the parent company of BrightPath. The company’s Avon daycare location permanently closed in May.
Berrios-Otero is charged with risk of injury to a minor, sexual assault in the fourth degree, and aggravated sexual assault of a minor.
From breaking news and local politics to art exhibitions, live music, high school sports, small businesses, and cultural events, we celebrate the people and places that make Connecticut unique.