'Oh s— the baby's out': Dad was 'binge' watching sitcom when 2-year-old son drowned in river after opening sliding door, DA says

An Oregon antheral told constabulary helium was watching TV and playing games connected his telephone erstwhile his 2-year-old lad near the location and fell into the stream wherever helium was yet recovered dead.

Aaron Scott Paulsen was charged with kid neglect successful precocious 2025, months aft his 2-year-old lad Dane was recovered dormant successful a stream by the household location successful Siletz, Oregon. As Law&Crime antecedently reported, Dane was past seen successful the backyard connected March 1, 2025, 10 days earlier his assemblage was recovered. Paulsen was indicted by a expansive assemblage successful October 2025, and helium pleaded not guilty.

According to tribunal documents obtained by section CBS affiliate KOIN, Paulsen admitted that helium was distracted by his TV and his phone erstwhile helium saw Dane locomotion retired of the house, ne'er to return.

Deputies from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office wrote successful the transgression ailment that Dane's mother, Chamet Jackson, near the small lad with his begetter successful the surviving country of the location aft bringing him successful from outside. She told Paulsen she would instrumentality shortly. Paulsen told constabulary that helium was "binge" watching a sitcom connected TV and playing games connected his telephone erstwhile helium saw Dane permission the location by himself done a sliding solid door.

Jackson told constabulary that she was successful a trailer connected the spot and heard idiosyncratic sound connected the door. Her archetypal thought, according to the complaint, was "Oh s— the baby's out." She told constabulary that she heard Dane walking astir outside, but she did not unfastened the doorway oregon permission the trailer close away.

Paulsen said Dane was gone for 15 minutes erstwhile Jackson came backmost into the surviving country looking for their son. Paulsen and Jackson told constabulary that Dane loved the water, and determination was a way that led from their location to the Siletz River. However, Dane did not cognize however to swim.

Police said they responded to the location aft a fisherman called astir proceeding a pistillate screaming by the river.

More from Law&Crime: Dad was not watching his 2-year-old lad earlier helium went missing and was aboriginal recovered drowned successful a river: DA

According to the tribunal documents, this was not the archetypal clip Dane had eluded his parents. When helium was 18 months old, a teen allegedly recovered him by himself, walking on a road astir 100 yards from the family's home. He was wearing thing but a diaper and a bluish sweater. The teen walked Dane backmost to his family's house, wherever his parents reportedly seemed unconcerned that their toddler had walked retired to a road by himself.

The teen told investigators that helium continued to spot Dane successful the beforehand gait of the location by himself oregon nether the ticker of the couple's then-8-year-old daughter.

Paulsen was charged with second-degree kid neglect. His adjacent tribunal day is scheduled for June 22, and a assemblage proceedings is scheduled for July.