An Oregon father has been indicted on charges of child neglect following the tragic death of his two-year-old son. Aaron Scott Paulsen was charged by a grand jury on October 16, several months after his son, Dane, was discovered deceased in a river approximately two miles from their residence. Dane was last seen playing in the backyard of his family home on March 1. His body was found ten days later by a volunteer diver, following an extensive search by the local community. The cause of death was determined to be drowning.
Court documents reveal that Paulsen is facing charges of second-degree child neglect. He is accused of failing to adequately supervise his toddler son prior to the child’s disappearance. The indictment, as reported by local ABC affiliate KATU, states that Paulsen, who had “custody or control of Dane Paulsen, did unlawfully and with criminal negligence leave Dane Paulsen, a child under the age of ten years, unattended in or at a place, for such period of time as was likely to endanger the health or welfare of said child.”
Dane’s mother, Cha Met Jackson, has expressed her dissatisfaction with the handling of the case by the District Attorney’s office. She and her family believe that the circumstances surrounding Dane’s drowning were more than a mere accident. Jackson recounted the last moments she saw Dane, as he ran out of their house while she was attending to her father, who lived in a trailer on the property.
Jackson shared her chilling recollection of Dane’s laughter, followed by an eerie silence. She also revealed to local Fox affiliate KPTV that she had previously noticed an unidentified man observing her and Dane from a distance. Additionally, she reported seeing another man photographing trail cameras approximately two weeks before Dane’s disappearance.
Paulsen now faces charges related to his son’s death, while Jackson maintains that other individuals should have been investigated. A warrant for Paulsen’s arrest was issued on October 23, with bail set at $20,000. His arraignment is scheduled for November 3.