A man who photographed children at the University’s childcare facilities in late
November was arrested in Portland Thursday on charges of aggravated
incest in Louisiana, raising concerns among University officials about
how the man’s criminal past went undetected.
Stephen Dale Jackson, 31, had several photography sessions with children at
the Moss Street Children’s Center and the Westmoreland Children’s
Center between Nov. 15 and Nov. 23. The children were always
accompanied by another adult, Vice President for Student Affairs Anne
Leavitt said, and
University officials “are quite certain that no inappropriate behavior” occurred
during the sessions, but they have sent two e-mails to parents asking
them to watch their children for warning signs.
“As far as we know, there has been no misconduct or crime committed,
there’s just an anxiety,” Leavitt said. “We’re worried because of who
he was in another community, not because of really anything he’s done
here.”
Leavitt said the University did not have a contract with Jackson and did not
pay him. The University did not perform a background check on Jackson,
Leavitt said, because the University does not conduct background
checks on
parents and family members using childcare center services.
Leavitt said the state has extensive policies regarding the security
and accessibility of child care facilities and the University always
abides by them.
“They’re state mandated,” Leavitt said. “We follow them to the letter.”
Jackson was a member of the University’s childcare community, living
in family housing with a family that used the childcare center’s
services, Leavitt said, adding that he also had parent references,
business cards and examples of his work.
“It never occurred to us that a member of our own community that would
offer a service like this would end up being a person who we wouldn’t
want to have near children,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt said University officials will meet to discuss how a man
wanted on felony charges gained access to the center and how to
prevent it in the future. They are also going to review procedures at
other Universities, she said.
Leavitt said the University is still trying to “debrief and understand
how we might have learned this in time to prevent it.”
Parents of the children photographed alerted the University after
attempts to contact Jackson to obtain the photos were unsuccessful.
Leavitt said proofs of the photos were sent to about 100 families, but
no one was able to get in contact with Jackson to order reprints.
University and the Eugene Police Department have not been able to locate any
of the photos taken by Jackson and are still searching for them, Leavitt said.
“One of the outstanding concerns for us is ‘Where are the
photographs?’” Leavitt said.
As many as 200 children may have been photographed, from infants to
11-year-olds, Leavitt said.
In an e-mail sent to parents Wednesday evening by EMU Child Care
Coordinator Dennis Reynolds, who approved the photography arrangements
with Jackson, parents were asked to look for common warning signs of
child sexual abuse. Parents should look for children acting out in
sexually suggestive behavior, displaying anxiety about separation and
showing sudden nervousness around strangers.
“The University is committed to the highest standards of security and
accountability and is taking every precaution to ensure that
photographers and photographic sessions and other activities will be
conducted according to these standards,” Reynolds wrote.

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