Avon Daycare Clarifies Sex Assault Suspect's Prior Assignments, Defends Hiring Practices: UPDATE

AVON, CT — A prominent daycare chain released additional details this week about an ex-employee facing multiple sexual assault charges involving children at the now-closed Avon child care center, including information about temporary shifts he worked at three other Connecticut locations.

According to Avon police, officers responded on March 31 to the BrightPath Avon Early Learning and Child Care Center, 144 Simsbury Road, after an administrator reported suspected inappropriate contact between a staff member and a child the previous day.

Police later arrested Jan Carlos Berrios-Otero, 29, of Avon, on April 1. He initially was charged with one count of risk of injury to a minor and one count of fourth-degree sexual assault.

Investigators subsequently obtained additional arrest warrants tied to six alleged incidents involving five children in Avon, police said. Berrios-Otero now faces multiple counts of fourth-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a minor, and aggravated sexual assault of a minor because several alleged victims were younger than 13.

Court records show Berrios-Otero remains held on a combined $4 million bond and is scheduled to appear June 23 in Litchfield Superior Court.

In a letter sent to families on May 12, BrightPath said Berrios-Otero began working at the company’s Avon center in January 2022 and occasionally covered temporary shifts at three additional locations in Simsbury, Windsor and West Hartford.

According to the company, Berrios-Otero worked:

• Jan. 20, 2026, for about four hours and 20 minutes at the Simsbury location.
• Sept. 16, 2025, for about six hours at the Windsor site on Day Hill Road.
• Sept. 24, 2025, for about three hours at the West Hartford location on Park Road.

BrightPath told families it has reviewed records from all Connecticut centers dating back four years and said there are “no known allegations, complaints, or incidents” tied to the suspect during those temporary assignments.

“If there were an allegation that involved your child, you would have been notified,” the company wrote in the letter.

The company said it is identifying students who were present in classrooms during the suspect’s temporary assignments and plans to contact affected families directly.

BrightPath also defended its hiring and background-check procedures, stating that employees undergo state and federal criminal background checks, FBI fingerprinting, and child abuse registry reviews.

The company said Berrios-Otero had no prior convictions and no previous complaints or incidents related to the allegations before his arrest.

BrightPath said it has launched an externally led investigation and plans to commission an independent review once that process is complete.

The BrightPath Avon facility on Simsbury Road closed on May 22, with the company citing recent “disruptions” and saying the decision was made with families in mind.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the latest news comes as WFSB Channel 3 has also reported that two additional lawsuits have been filed against BrightPath related to the allegations, with 83 children represented across the cases.

This makes three lawsuits being filed in Connecticut courts related to the situation, with the first one being filed last month by the parents of an alleged victim.

For the full WFSB Channel 3 report, click on this link.

From May 8: 'Ex-Preschool Worker Charged In Avon Child Abuse Case Worked At 3 Other Sites: Company'

From April 24: 'Police: Avon Daycare Worker Accused Of Sexually Assaulting 5 Children: UPDATE'

From April 23: 'Avon Child Care Center Announces Closure Following Abuse Allegations, Lawsuit'

From April 9: 'Avon Daycare Sued Over Allegations 3-Year-Old Was Abused: Court.'

From April 1: 'Avon Preschool Employee Accused Of 'Inappropriate Contact:' Police'