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Case worker accused of abuse He was trusted with helping disabled young men By Jonel Aleccia Oregon State Police arrested a veteran Jackson County caseworker Wednesday on charges that he sexually abused several developmentally disabled young men in his care. Robert Forrest Jackson, 62, was arrested at 9 a.m. at his home at 100 N. Pacific Highway, No. 147, Talent, on 10 counts of first-degree sodomy, 10 counts of first-degree sex abuse and a charge of official misconduct. He was lodged in the Jackson County Jail on $20 million bail. Jackson, a case manager since 1988 in the county�s developmental disabilities program, is accused of committing deviant sexual acts with many young adult clients, all of whom have IQs of less than 70. An IQ of 100 is considered average. OSP Sgt. Kurt Barthel declined to reveal the specific number of victims or their ages, but said investigators expect to find more victims. "This case is not even close to being finished," he said. "There�s still a lot of investigation to occur. We�re looking over several years." There is no indication so far that any juveniles have been involved, he added. The reported incidents allegedly occurred at Jackson�s home outside of normal business hours, said Hank Collins, county health and human services director. "We�re appalled," Collins said. "The case manager�s job is to find housing for clients, to help them manage their money, to teach them how to buy groceries. He had developed relationships with these folks." Police on Wednesday were conducting interviews with many of the 75 clients assigned to Jackson, who retired from his post July 23 when county officials confronted him, according to Collins. First-degree sodomy is a Class A felony; first-degree sex abuse is a Class B felony. The statute of limitations on such crimes is six years, if juveniles are not involved. The charges stemmed from information supplied by a county worker required by law to report suspicions of abuse. "Bob Jackson worked for us for 13 years," Collins said. "We trusted him." Jackson had worked with disabled clients in the Rogue Valley for more than two decades, formerly at the Rogue Valley Opportunities Center. He was a certified foster care provider with the state Children�s Services Division from 1977 to 1982, and a member of the Prospect School Board from 1983 to 1986. Jackson had passed all required criminal background checks, Collins said. Like other county employees, he was informed about professional boundary policies. News of the arrest rippled through the social services community Wednesday, alarming many familiar with Jackson and his work. "I�m shocked," said Roger Hassenpflug, president and chief executive officer of Living Opportunities in Medford, which serves disabled clients. "I�ve known Bob for 20 years as a cheerful, meticulous individual. It is very sobering. Any time there�s an allegation like this, it strikes at the heart of trust." Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA