Guyana-born day care worker accused of abusing toddlers in US

May 03, 2013 News

New York (NBC New York) – Prosecutors have filed child abuse and child endangerment charges against a Jersey City day care center worker who allegedly injured two toddlers.
Bail was set Wednesday at US$100,000 for 26-year-old Ann Bactawar of Jersey City. She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the charges.

Prosecutors have filed child abuse and child endangerment charges against Ann Bactawar (inset) who allegedly injured two toddlers.

Prosecutors say Bactawar allegedly upended a boy who was standing on a box at the Sunnyside Academy Daycare Center in Jersey City. Authorities were contacted after a center administrator showed the boy’s father a video of the incident.
Further investigation led authorities to charge Bactawar with the abuse of another boy at the center. Prosecutors say the toddlers suffered bruises, cuts and bleeding.
Bactawar, a native of Guyana, has been arrested twice before, once in September 2011 and again in July 2012, each time for aggravated assault, according to authorities.
The director of Sunnyside Academy Daycare, who did not want to be go on camera, told NBC 4 New York those cases were noted as pending when an outside agency conducted a mandatory background check on Bactawar. Bactawar also gave the agency letters from her probation officer and lawyer before she was hired.
Parents at the school were upset by the allegations of abuse but said they believe it was isolated.
“This school is great,” said mother Idilko McGivney. “That teacher was a bad example, but the school is great.”
“I’m sad this happened,” said Sanjeev Pasham, a father. “I’m really sorry for the parents and the kids. I don’t want to make any conclusions.”
Bactawar entered a plea of not guilty.