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14-year-old convicted of abusing 9 children Ashland boy could be held until he's 25; prosecutor says he'll get treatment By JIM DAVIS A 14-year-old Ashland boy hung his head and his mother wept Wednesday as the boy was found guilty of a dozen counts of rape, sodomy and sexual abuse of eight boys and girls from a single family. The boy rose to hug his mother and other family members after Jackson County Juvenile Judge Mark Schiveley pronounced the verdict. "To say that this has been a difficult and complicated case would be one of the most gross understatements I could make," Schiveley said. The boy could be held in the juvenile system until he is 25, pending the decision of a yet-to-be-scheduled disposition hearing, prosecutor Beth Heckert said. "This will allow (him) to get into a treatment program," Heckert said. "That's what I've been wanting all along." The boy, wearing a blue sweater and khaki slacks, left with his family after the trial. The boy was accused of sexually molesting eight children, all adopted members of a single Ashland family. The abuse occurred between 1996 and 1998 at their elementary school and homes. The victims range in age from 7 to 12 and are developmentally delayed or have been diagnosed with behavioral problems. An Ashland man, Anan Kanjanakaset, 29, also has been charged with abusing some of the children and is scheduled to go to court March 9. The trial of the 14-year-old was held without a jury in Schiveley's courtroom. In closing arguments Wednesday, defense lawyer Lisa Maxfield of Portland argued that a single child started the accusation against the boy and the story spread like a "wildfire" to his adopted brothers and sisters. Maxfield said that the case was tainted with "red flags" and the children were asked leading questions by their mother and police during the investigation. "There's just a very suspect progression and mushrooming of statements in this case," Maxfield said. She said police even allowed the mother to help with questioning. "Would that occur if this was a murder case or any other case?" Maxfield asked. In closing arguments, Heckert acknowledged that some of the questioning was leading. But she said the children had sexual knowledge that was well beyond what "you'd expect them to have." She also asked what motive the victims would have to step forward with the accusations against the boy. After the arguments, Schiveley took a few minutes to go through evidence and then spoke to both families. He agreed that there were "implausible statements and bizarre stories" in the testimony and evidence. But he said he spent the entire trial trying to figure out why an entire family would concoct the tales of abuse against the 14-year-old. "I still haven't found an answer to that," he said. Schiveley found the boy "in jurisdiction" -- the juvenile court equivalent of guilty -- of two counts of first-degree rape, six counts of first-degree sodomy, one count of sexual abuse, one count of menacing and two counts of third-degree sexual abuse. He found the boy not guilty of three counts of first-degree rape, three counts of first-degree sexual abuse and two counts of attempted sexual abuse. Two other counts -- one of menacing and one of first-degree sexual abuse -- were dismissed earlier. Looking at both families, Schiveley said that the past eight days of the trial has been difficult for everyone involved. "I wish I could magically tell you that after today everything will be fine," Schiveley said. "It won't." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA