Man Guilty Of Sexually Abusing Kids At Wife's Unlicensed Daycare And His Son Faces Similar Charges

An Oregon man has been convicted of sexually abusing two girls attending an unlicensed daycare operated by his wife.

Jeffrey Rauch, 54, was found guilty Wednesday on counts of unlawful sexual penetration, sodomy and sexual abuse following a two-day bench trial in a Marion County court. He had waived his right to a jury trial.

According to court records, Rauch of Salem was accused of sexually abusing a 5-year-old girl and a 6-year-old girl from 2016 to 2017. He was arrested in August 2017 after a girl told her mother that Rauch touched her inappropriately. That victim told her doctor that Rauch’s 17-year-old son Brady Rauch had joined in on the sexual abuse, according to The Salem Statesman Journal. He has been arrested on charges of first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree unlawful sexual penetration.

A trial is scheduled for December his son.

Turns out the daycare where the abuse took place wasn’t even legit.

After Jeffrey Rauch's arrest, his wife Alice Rauch was investigated for operating an illegal daycare and officials determined that she didn’t have a state-required license. Despite that, she was caring for more than three children.

The two young victims and their pediatrician were among those who testified at Rauch’s court trial this week, the Statesman reported.

jeffrey rauch

Initially, the father and son were supposed to stand trial together earlier this month, but Brady Rauch's attorney argued that doing so would prejudice jurors against the son because he said that the evidence against the teen is weaker than the evidence against his father, according to the Statesman.

The elder Rauch is scheduled to be sentenced next month on Oct. 21.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Photo: Marion County Sheriff's Office]