Foster parent facing charges

By Jack Moran

SPRINGFIELD — A foster parent stands accused of molesting two boys he met while working at a local treatment facility for emotionally disturbed children.

Joshua Thomas Friar, 26, is being held in the Lane County Jail on four counts of second-degree sodomy and other felony charges in connection with an investigation that began Nov. 10 when a boy alleged that Friar had abused him.

Oregon State Police investigators say they have identified a second suspected victim and believe that there may be more. The investigation is continuing.

For the past three years, Friar has supervised children as part of a treatment team at Jasper Mountain, a private fa-cility southeast of Springfield.

The facility’s executive director, Dave Ziegler, said those who worked with Friar were stunned to learn of his arrest.

“If this turns out to be founded, we’re talking about someone who went to great lengths to gain trust and confidence in people,” Ziegler said.

Ziegler said he first heard of the allegations on Saturday, a few hours after detectives served search warrants and seized evidence at Friar’s home in the 600 block of South 41st Street in Springfield and at a home on 17th Street in Springfield where Friar previously lived.

Department of Human Service caseworkers removed three boys between the ages of 7 and 16 from Friar’s home.

Investigators said there is no evidence to indicate that Friar molested those boys.

The children that Friar allegedly abused lived with Friar previously, although officials did not say when. Those boys were placed into his home as foster children after he met them at Jasper Mountain, according to state police.

Ziegler said one of Friar’s family members called him Saturday to say that Friar had resigned.

Friar, a Brookings native, has no criminal record in Oregon, according to court records. State police officials said Friar previously volunteered with the Big Brothers Big Sisters youth mentoring program.

Ziegler said Friar passed an extensive background check before be- ginning work at Jasper Mountain.

“He has exemplary recommendations from everywhere he worked,” Ziegler said. “Given the amount of screenings and steps we go through to bring in staff — because the children here are particularly vulnerable — and how closely we supervised this individual, it is quite a shock to hear of these allegations.”

Ziegler said Jasper Mountain officials are cooperating with state investigators working to identify additional suspected victims.

“I am IDing any child who I think would be a good person for (investigators) to talk to,” Ziegler said. “I want to know if any other kids have been hurt.”

State police asked any- one with information about the case to call 800-452-7888.

Friar was arraigned Monday in Lane County Circuit Court on the sodomy charges, along with additional charges of using a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct and witness tampering. If convicted, he would face a mandatory prison sentence.

Friar is being held in jail on nearly $2 million bail.