PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Months after 2-year-old Dane Paulsen’s remains were discovered in the Siletz River near his family home, his father is facing neglect charges.

On Monday, Aaron Paulsen pleaded not guilty to second-degree child neglect following a Lincoln County grand jury’s indictment last week. He is accused of leaving his son unattended for a period of time that was likely to endanger him, according to court documents.

The misdemeanor charge comes seven months after Paulsen’s son disappeared from the family’s backyard on March 1, prompting weeks of search efforts.

The search ended when a diver located the boy’s body three miles downstream from his home on March 11. An autopsy of Dane’s body then confirmed that the boy had died by drowning.

At the time, law enforcement said the

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