NE Bend man arrested in raid of licensed daycare and charged with 23 counts of distributing child pornography

(Update: Bergeron appears in court, no attorney available; returns June 4)

Also loaded with animal images; dDetectives say they have no evidence that children at the facility were victimized

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A 62-year-old man living at a licensed day care center in northeast Bend was arrested on numerous charges during a raid on his home Thursday after a tip sparked a two-year investigation month on the distribution of sexual information about children. abusing online material from a home computer, Deschutes County sheriff's deputies said Friday.

Authorities said they immediately issued a search warrant to the home after learning it was a daycare. They stressed Friday that there was no evidence indicating children at the facility were victims, but provided contact information for parents with questions or concerns.

The District Attorney's Office filed 22 criminal charges Friday of inciting child sexual abuse in the first and second degrees against Jack Edward Bergeron Jr., who lived in the home in the 500 block of NE Burnside Avenue, as well as a class A misdemeanor of encouraging the sexual assault of an animal.

Bergeron was arraigned Friday afternoon on 11 counts of first degree, class B felonies, and 11 counts of second degree, class C felonies, as well as the misdemeanor charge. The 23 counts list a date for the allegations “on or about May 30” (Thursday).

Once again, as at Thursday's hearing on the aggravated robbery charge against Dawn Holland, Circuit Judge Randy Miller noted that no public defender had been appointed for Bergeron and ordered the Public Defense Commission to Oregon to do so. The judge set a status hearing for next Tuesday.

Meanwhile, at the recommendation of Deputy Prosecutor Michael Swart, Miller set Bergeron's bond at $500,000.

If Bergeron can post 10 percent bail and is released, the judge ordered that he have no contact with minors, go anywhere where they congregate and have no access to any device capable of accessing the Internet. If released on bail, Bergeron will also be required to obtain and wear a GPS tracking monitor. He was also ordered to have no contact with pets.

In asking the bail amount, Swart noted that nearly 50 illegal images had been found, “including one depicting bestiality,” and that Bergeron and his wife operated a daycare out of their home, with elderly children from 6 months to 5 and a half years.

Deschutes County property tax records indicate Bergeron owns the home where the daycare is operated.

Sheriff's Sergeant Jason Wall said the Sheriff's Office was notified in March of an Internet Protocol (IP) address that was actively distributing child pornography through peer-to-per (P2P) networks in Deschutes County.

Eugene Homeland Security Investigations was able to log into the computer and share that information with the DCSO Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit, Wall said.

“ICAC detectives began an investigation and obtained a large amount of evidence over the next two months,” Wall said in a press release.

On Thursday, detectives determined that the IP address distributing the material was operated by Bergeron. They also learned that his residence, where the crimes took place, also operated a state-licensed daycare, Wall said.

“Due to the significantly increased risk of Bergeron's access to children, detectives from the ICAC unit, along with detectives from the agency's street crimes and digital forensics units, ICAC detectives from the police The Oregon State, FBI and Redmond Police Department's Digital Forensics Unit immediately conducted a warrant search of the home, seizing several digital devices.

Bergeron was arrested and taken to the county jail, where he was booked on 21 original charges and held without bail while awaiting arraignment.

Wall said, “At this time, detectives have no evidence that the children at the daycare were victims of the above-mentioned accusations. However, he added, “the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office requests that if parents of children who are attending If you have any questions or concerns, contact Deschutes County Non-Emergency Dispatch at 541-693-6911 to be put in contact with the ICAC unit.

“Further search warrants will be requested for the analysis of the seized digital devices, which could result in future charges,” added Sgt.