In a shocking case from Alabama, two daycare workers have been sentenced to significant prison time for the abuse of children in their care. Kailey Gilley and Magan Koker are each facing five years behind bars, part of a longer 20-year split sentence that includes three years of probation once they are released, as per reports from sources like CBS affiliate WTVY. Throughout their incarceration, parole will not be an option for them.

Details from jail records examined by Law&Crime reveal that the women were taken into custody on October 10, 2024, at the Dale County Jail. Gilley was initially charged with four counts of torture or willful child abuse and eight counts of aggravated child abuse. Meanwhile, Koker faced two counts of torture or willful child abuse alongside nine counts of aggravated child abuse.

By October 20, 2025, both Gilley and Koker, aged 20 and 30 respectively at the time, saw some of their charges reduced through a plea agreement. Despite this, the agreement was “blind,” leaving their final sentencing up to the court’s discretion.

As reported by the Dale County Chronicle, the sentences were delivered by Dale County Circuit Court Judge William Filmore following moving testimonies from the parents of the affected children. One mother recounted her fury after viewing surveillance footage that captured the two workers alternately hitting her child.

According to the Dale County Chronicle, Dale County Circuit Court Judge  William Filmore handed down the sentences after emotional testimony from parents of the children who were abused. One mother shared the anger she felt after watching surveillance video of the two defendants taking turns hitting her child.

When that same child was picked up from Happy Hearts Christian Academy Daycare — where the women worked — they reportedly had injuries, including bruising and swelling. The subsequent hospital visit sparked the police investigation into the matter.

“Officers met with the child’s parents, who reported that the injuries were discovered after picking the child up from the daycare,” Police Chief John Crawford said, according to the local newspaper. “The parents said the bruises were not there earlier that day.”

Many of the abused children were too young to speak at the time of the abuse, rendering them unable to ask for help, several witnesses noted, per WTVY.

Happy Hearts Christian Academy Daycare is listed on Childcare Insights, a website designed to share information about childcare centers across the U.S., as “a safe and supportive environment for children to learn and grow” and is listed as being for children up to age 10. “Our passionate staff focuses on providing age-appropriate activities designed to enhance social skills, creativity, and cognitive development,” it says.

The day care center reportedly closed after the two women were arrested.