Police Looking for More Victims of Man Accused of Sexually Abusing Baby Sitter
By Chelsea Kopta
Police are asking for help finding more potential victims of a man accused of sexually abusing a teenage boy who baby sat his children. Joseph William Wehage, 39, has been charged with 11 felonies: seven counts of first-degree sodomy; two counts of second-degree attempted sodomy; one count of first-degree attempted sodomy; and one count of second-degree sodomy. At his arraignment Thursday, Wehage pleaded not guilty to all charges. His attorney filed a motion to have him released on his own recognizance but it was denied. A judge set Wehage's bail at $2,030,000. Detectives began an investigation in August after they said Wehage sexually abused the teen who worked as a baby sitter for Wehage’s family. Police said Wehage met the teen through a church both families attended, Evergreen Presbyterian, located in Beaverton. Police believe Wehage might have more potential victims as baby sitters. KATU went to Wehage's listed address in Oregon, an apartment in Southwest Portland, but no one was home. It also talked to the church's senior pastor but he said Wehage was not a member of the church and did not want to provide any further details. Police said Wehage was most recently living in Tennessee. The On Your Side Investigators obtained a court document which shows Wehage had been staying at an extended-living hotel in Nashville since September. Court documents show Wehage was secretly indicted last month and was later extradited back to Oregon. Police said he was booked into the Multnomah County Jail on Wednesday. The On Your Side Investigators dug into Wehage's background and found he is a registered sex offender. Court documents show he was arrested in 1998 in Columbia County for four counts of encouraging child sex abuse in the second degree. He was convicted of two counts in 1999. The other two counts were dismissed. According to his judgment, Wehage was not to have any contact with the victim and was restricted from entering "places where minors congregate." He was also required to take part in a sex offender treatment program and submit to a penile plethysmograph, a type of test for sexual offenders, which is typically used to determine the level of sexual arousal as the subject is exposed to sexually suggestive content, such as pictures, movies or audio. In 1999, court records show he was convicted of sexual abuse in the third degree in Columbia County. Again, he was ordered to stay away from places where children are likely to congregate such as schools, playgrounds, parks, fast food restaurants and video arcades. That same year, court records show Wehage was arrested for harassment in Columbia County. It appears as though that case was later dismissed. In 2008, Wehage failed to register as a sex offender in Multnomah County, according to court records. It appears as though that case was dismissed in 2009. According to the Oregon Department of Corrections, Wehage never served time in person but did serve jail time in Columbia County. Court records also state that Wehage worked for three months as a secretary for Oregon Territorial Assembly (OTA) Church. The documents, however, list the address as Wehage's home address. KATU reached Territorial Assembly Church for comment Thursday but messages were not immediately returned. One website shows Wehage may have gone by "William" instead of Joseph while at the church. He's also currently listed as OTA's registered agent. Wehage will next appear in court Nov. 11. If you have any information, contact Detective Jason Christensen at (503) 823-0894, or via email.
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