Three women who used to work as daycare providers at Hill Air Force Base have been federally charged with physically assaulting children in their care, including toddlers. Karlie Brook Rainey, 29, of Clearfield; Patricia Michelle Davis, 28, of Layton; and Allison Shea Ferdon, 32, of Carrollton, Virginia, were each indicted on one count of simple assault against a child under 16, a federal misdemeanor.
The case, first reported by ABC4 Utah, stems from allegations that the charged providers harmed young children placed in their care at the Hill Air Force Base Child Development Center, where documents show at least six individual victims have been identified. Fox 13, however, reported that each of the three women faces three separate misdemeanor charges rather than the single count described in the indictment summary — a discrepancy that has not been resolved between the two accounts, according to Fox 13.
What Each Woman Is Accused Of Doing
According to the indictment, Rainey allegedly covered a crying child's face with a pillow multiple times in 2022, pushed the child's face into the floor, and pinned the child in a corner for more than 20 minutes. Fox 13's reporting described similar allegations against her, including covering a crying child's mouth.
Davis is accused, per the indictment, of shoving, pushing and roughly handling children at the daycare in January and February 2023. Ferdon faces allegations that she roughly grabbed children several times, sprayed a child in the face, used one child's hand to hit another child, and lowered a child over a garbage can as if to throw her away — conduct Fox 13 similarly described as grabbing children, using one child's hand against another, and holding a child over a trash can.
Prosecutors Vow Accountability
Melissa Holyoak said the defendants' alleged conduct toward the toddlers entrusted to their care is disturbing and unacceptable. She said the U.S. Attorney's Office will not tolerate any form of abuse against children and remains committed to working with partners to ensure justice for the parents who entrusted the workers with their children's care and safety. The federal case is being prosecuted by Sachi Jepson and Todd C. Bouton.
Rainey, Davis and Ferdon were indicted on September 16, and all three are set to be arraigned on Wednesday and Thursday at the downtown Salt Lake federal courthouse. ABC4 Utah noted that the charges remain allegations only, and that those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
A Broader Investigation Loomed Over the Base
The three indictments followed a wider inquiry that parents were told about at a briefing, where officials said thirty-seven children may have been abused at daycare centers on Hill Air Force Base, according to Fox 13's reporting. Federal agents were said to be investigating 12 staff members, and investigators were reviewing 70 days of surveillance video dating back to December, per the same outlet's account.
Hill Air Force Base previously said it removed the involved caregivers from the classroom and notified parents of affected children, according to ABC4. The base also said it was reviewing the processes that safeguard its children. The base's Office of Special Investigations was said to be investigating the case as well, per the Department of Justice, per the Fox 13 article.
Federal Oversight of Military Child Care
The Hill Air Force Base allegations surface amid broader federal scrutiny of how the Department of Defense handles child-abuse reporting at its installations. The Government Accountability Office found that DOD requires its child development centers and school-age care programs to be nationally accredited as part of its efforts to provide quality care, according to a GAO report. A separate GAO review recommended that DOD clarify its guidance on incident-determination notifications after examining case logs and site visits at military installations, a recommendation the department concurred with, per GAO's findings.
Under the federal statute cited in the case, 18 U.S.C. § 113, simple assault involving a victim under 16 may be punishable by a fine or imprisonment of not more than one year, or both, according to the version of the law published by the U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel. ABC4 Utah said it reached out to Hill Air Force Base for comment on the charges.
