Oregon Man Convicted of Sexually Abusing Young Girls at Unlicensed Day Care Center

An Oregon man was convicted of sexually abusing two young girls at an unlicensed day care, The Statesman Journal reported on Monday.

Jeffrey Rauch, 54, sexually abused a 5-year-old and 6-year-old from 2016 to 2017 while they were attending a day care center in Oregon illegally operated by his wife.

He was convicted of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, first-degree sodomy and three counts of first-degree sexual abuse on Wednesday. He was cleared of one first-degree sodomy count. Rauch was scheduled to be sentenced in October.

Authorities began investigating Rauch after the 5-year-old girl told her mother she was being inappropriately touched at the day care center. The girl subsequently recounted the assault to a doctor. Both children described their abuse by Rauch during a forensic evaluation.

Rauch's son, Brady, was arrested and charged with first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree unlawful sexual penetration. He was 15, 16 and 17 when he allegedly committed the crimes and was expected to stand trial as an adult on December 3.

Day care centers throughout the country are often the subject of disturbing reports of abuse. Earlier this month, police in Riverside, California, arrested Hubert David Edgin on suspicion of multiple sexual assaults at an unlicensed day care center, according to KNBC.

A Bay Area family was also charged with 59 counts of human trafficking, rape and labor abuse earlier this month for allegedly using a day care facility and two senior care centers to coordinate a human trafficking ring. Joshua, Noel, Gerlen and Carlina Gamos were detained and were being held on $9 million bail, according to KGO-TV.

In May, Oregon officials revoked the license of a day care center in Polk County. The closure of the facility followed the arrest of Quinlyn Harden, 24, who was charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse. Harden's mother, Ceola, ran and owned the care operation and reportedly left her son alone with the children, The Statesman Journal reported.

The order from Oregon Department of Education's Office of Child Care said that Ceola "failed to provide a safe and healthy environment for child care children and has placed children for whom she is responsible for at risk." A complaint also alleged that she did not notify the Oregon Department of suspected abuse, as the law requires.

In February, 24-year-old Connecticut day care worker Nicole Mayo received a 6-year sentence, suspended after 20 months, for physically abusing 2-year-olds, NBC Connecticut reported.