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Man charged in sex assault of a 5YO worked at several metro Detroit daycares

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The Detroit police are trying to identify if there are any more victims or children who have been abused by a former daycare center worker charged with the sexual assault of a 5-year-old girl.

Police said Michael Pankey, 37, assaulted the girl while he was babysitting and has worked at several different daycares from Oakland to Macomb counties.

Pankey is currently in federal custody on new charges of producing child pornography and possessing child porn.

He was wanted on five counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of indecent exposure and three counts of possession of sexually explicit material.

Hundreds of files were seized from Pankey’s home in May.

Here are the daycares Pankey has previously worked at:

  • Little Munchkins / Cribs 2 Crayons in Sterling Heights (10/2015 – 1/2016)
  • Gurukul Montessori Academy in Troy (1/2016 – 9/2016)
  • Oakland University Lowrey Center Daycare – Oakland University Campus (9/2016 – 12-2016)
  • North Hills Child Care Center – Troy (12/2016)

In response to the allegations, Rainbow Childcare Center released a statement to 7 Action News saying Pankey never worked for their company. 

Rainbow says they acquired Little Munchkins about 6 months ago, and that Pankey worked for Little Munchkins prior to their purchase of the company and that he was no longer an employee at the school when they acquired it.