Father was allegedly ‘binge watching’ TV show while toddler vanished and drowned in river: court docs

An Oregon father was allegedly “binge-watching” a TV show at the time his toddler vanished from their rural home and later drowned in a nearby river, according to new bombshell court documents.

Aaron Paulsen is facing child neglect charges for the death of his 2-year-old son, Dane, who was reported missing in the small town of Siletz on March 1, 2025.

Newly released court documents obtained by KATU revealed Paulsen had been “binge watching” a TV show when little Dane walked out the back sliding glass door of the riverside property alone.

The child’s mother, Cha Met Jackson, had told Paulsen that he was responsible for keeping Dane at the house after she left, the fresh filings claimed.

Jackson later told law enforcement she heard her son knocking on the door of the trailer on their property while she was inside, and thought “oh sh-t the baby’s out.” But she did not open the door and continued cleaning the inside of the vehicle, prosecutors alleged.

District Attorney Jenna Wallace revealed during a November court hearing that “Dane was left unattended for about 15 minutes before [his] parents noticed that he was missing,” the Lincoln Chronicle reported.

Cops later discovered a toddler footprint at the edge of the river near the couple’s home and a toy Dane had been playing with before he disappeared.

The parents were aware that Dane “loved the water, was not fearful of the water, but did not know how to swim,” according to the documents obtained by KATU.

After an extensive 11-day search, the toddler’s body was discovered in the Siletz River by an independent diver.

Court documents also revealed an eerie pattern of complaints from neighbors who reported spotting Dane and his older sister playing outside unattended.

Before the couple lived in Siletz, a neighbor called the police to report child neglect after stating it wasn’t “uncommon” for the family’s daughter “to be left outside playing in the yard or street unsupervised for 30-60 minutes as a toddler,” the outlet reported.

A teenager had also reported seeing Dane standing alone on a highway, wearing only a diaper and a blue sweater. The teen later brought the child back to his home.

A grand jury indicted Paulsen in October 2025, and he later pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor child neglect charges, according to the Lincoln Chronicle.

A newly filed motion says Oregon plans to call 20 witnesses to testify at the dad’s trial.