Former West Salem day care owner accused of child abuse found not guilty
A former West Salem day care owner charged with injuring a 4-year-old girl in her care has been acquitted of child abuse charges.
Following a bench trial in Polk County Circuit Court, Judge Monte Campbell found Bobbie Jo Sanders, 46, not guilty of first-degree assault and first-degree criminal mistreatment.
Sanders was arrested and indicted by a Polk County grand jury in 2021 after the child was hospitalized with a serious injury.
The case was investigated by Salem Police and the Oregon Department of Human Services.
Sanders was the owner and operator of Bobbie Jo's Daycare in West Salem. The Oregon Department of Education's Early Learning Division website shows the day care's license expired. Police confirmed the day care was closed.
An inspection of the day care in 2020 found it was compliant and safe. At the time of the inspection, six children were in Sanders' care.
Shortly after Sanders' arrest, a 36-year-old West Salem man was charged with first-degree criminal mistreatment, third-degree assault, conspiracy to commit criminal mistreatment and conspiracy to commit assault for abusing the same child, who is his daughter.
It is the Statesman Journal's policy to not identify victims. To protect the child's identity, the Statesman Journal is not naming the father.
The West Salem man was accused of conspiring with Sanders to abuse the child. He faced an additional charge of unlawful use of a weapon for an incident involving using a paddle on the child.
Prosecutors said the father took responsibility for failing to be aware that the child was not receiving adequate care and for not seeking medical care after he saw bruises she got while attending the day care owned by Sanders.
He pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor count of second-degree criminal mistreatment in April. The remaining counts were dismissed.
He was sentenced to a suspended jail term of 180 days and three years probation. He was also ordered to take a parenting class and undergo an anger management evaluation.
For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter at @wmwoodworth
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem Bobby Jo's Daycare owner accused of child abuse found not guilty
