Oregon Father Charged with Child Neglect After Toddler’s Drowning Death
A tragic incident in the rural community of Siletz, Oregon, has led to child neglect charges against a father who allegedly failed to supervise his two-year-old son, Dane Paulsen, prior to the toddler’s drowning. The young boy’s father, Aaron Paulsen, is accused of watching his son wander out of their home unsupervised while he was preoccupied with binge-watching television.
The incident, which occurred on March 1, 2025, has sent shockwaves through the community and raised serious questions about parental responsibility. Court documents reveal a disturbing timeline of events that ultimately led to the devastating loss of young Dane.
A Mother’s Account and a Father’s Distraction
According to court documents, Dane’s mother, Cha Met Jackson, had informed Aaron that she would be leaving the house and that Dane would be in his father’s care. However, prosecutors allege that Aaron Paulsen admitted to police that he “watched Dane walk out the back sliding glass door alone” while he was engrossed in a television show.
Meanwhile, Cha Met Jackson reportedly heard her son knocking on the door of a trailer on the property, a sound that caused her to exclaim, “Oh s**t, the baby’s out.” Despite this apparent realisation, prosecutors claim she did not immediately open the trailer door and instead continued with her activities inside.
A significant period of time elapsed before the parents realised Dane was missing. District Attorney Jenna Wallace stated that approximately 15 minutes passed before Aaron and Cha Met noticed their son was gone.
Extensive Search and Grim Discovery
The disappearance of the two-year-old triggered an immediate and extensive search operation. Authorities discovered a toddler’s footprint at the edge of the Siletz River near the family’s home, along with a toy that his parents identified as one Dane had been playing with earlier.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, along with multiple other law enforcement agencies including the Oregon State Police, Lincoln City Police Department, Newport PD, the FBI, and Siletz Valley Fire, mobilised a large-scale search effort. Nearly 100 certified search and rescue members were enlisted to scour the Siletz River and surrounding forested areas.
The operation involved significant resources: four watercrafts, 13 divers, four drones, six canines, and 40 investigators. Tragically, Dane’s remains were eventually found by volunteer diver Juan Heredia in the Siletz River, approximately three miles downstream from his home.
Pre-existing Concerns and Legal Proceedings
Court documents have shed light on a concerning detail: both Aaron and Cha Met were reportedly aware that Dane “loved the water, was not fearful of the water, but did not know how to swim.” This knowledge makes the circumstances of his drowning all the more distressing.
Aaron Paulsen was indicted by a grand jury in October and subsequently pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor child neglect charges in November. He was released on the condition that he is prohibited from being around unsupervised children under the age of five. The couple also has an older daughter, who was nine at the time of the court proceedings and was not subject to this restriction.
Patterns of Alleged Neglect
Further details have emerged from court documents, suggesting a potential pattern of neglect. A former neighbour of Aaron and Cha Met reportedly contacted police in the past to report concerns about the elder daughter. According to court documents, this neighbour stated it was not uncommon for the older sister to be left playing unsupervised in the yard or street for periods of 30 to 60 minutes when she was a toddler.
In another troubling incident, a teenager reported finding Dane standing on Highway 229 in September 2024. The toddler was reportedly only wearing a diaper and a blue sweater. The teenager brought Dane to his home and contacted his parents to inform them of the situation.
Prosecutors are preparing to call 20 witnesses to the stand at Aaron Paulsen’s upcoming trial, as the community grapples with this heartbreaking case and the profound questions it raises about child safety and parental duty.
