Former Childswork Learning Center Employee Arrested on Charges of Sexually Abusing Preschool Student in Southeast Portland; Prosecutors Indicate More Children May Be Involved

Former Childswork Employee Known as “Teacher Jonathan” Held Without Bail

On September 28, 2026, Portland police arrested Yonathan Ortiz, 20, a former employee of Childswork Learning Center in Southeast Portland, in connection with the alleged sexual abuse of a child who attended the preschool. (Portland Police Bureau) According to the Portland Police Bureau, Ortiz was lodged at the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of Sodomy in the First Degree, Sex Abuse in the First Degree, Using a Child in a Display of Sexually Explicit Conduct, two counts of Luring a Minor, and two counts of Endangering a Minor. (Portland Police Bureau) On October 8, 2026, Judge Adele Ridenour ordered that Ortiz be held without bail. (KPTV, Oct. 8)

The charges are allegations. Ortiz is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

What Police and Prosecutors Allege

According to police, on March 30, 2026, a child who attends Childswork’s campus in the 10500 block of SE Cherry Blossom Drive told a parent that she had been sexually abused by a teacher, identified as Ortiz. The parent contacted police, and detectives with the Bureau’s Child Abuse Team began investigating. (Portland Police Bureau)

News reports identify the child as four years old at the time. (The Oregonian/OregonLive; KPTV, Oct. 8) According to court documents described in news reports, she was taken to Randall Children’s Hospital (KATU, Oct. 3), and she told her mother that Ortiz showed her pornography at her cubby and sexually assaulted her. (KPTV, Oct. 5) KATU reports that, according to a prosecutor’s affidavit, investigators seized Ortiz’s phone and found data showing access to pornography during daycare hours, along with a photograph depicting explicit conduct involving Ortiz and the child. (KATU, Oct. 3) KPTV separately reports that police found child sexual abuse material on the phone involving another four-year-old at the center. (KPTV, Oct. 8)

Police say they arrested Ortiz on September 28 after additional evidence allowed the investigation to move forward. (Portland Police Bureau)

Prosecutors Indicate Eight Additional Victims

At the October 8 hearing, a Multnomah County deputy district attorney told the court that there are eight additional referrals in the case, and that two are likely to be added based on accounts of sexual abuse and threats of physical violence. (KPTV, Oct. 8) A Child Abuse Team detective said that another parent reported that her child cried when asked about Ortiz and said the teacher had threatened to “break him in half” if he told anyone. (KPTV, Oct. 8) KPTV reports that eight more children are scheduled to be interviewed. (KPTV, Oct. 8) KATU previously reported that a second alleged victim was identified after Ortiz’s arrest. (KATU, Oct. 3)

Police released Ortiz’s photograph because of concern that there may be additional victims. They urge parents who believe their child may have been victimized to talk with their children, and they ask anyone with information who has not already spoken with investigators to contact:

 Email: crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov, “Attention: Child Abuse Team, and reference case number 26-680206. (Portland Police Bureau)

What Is Known About Ortiz’s Role at Childswork

Ortiz was reportedly known to children as “Teacher Jonathan.” (KPTV, Oct. 8) Public accounts of his position and tenure are not fully consistent. KATU, citing court documents, reports that he worked as a part-time and substitute teacher at Childswork from January 2024 until March 31, 2026. (KATU, Oct. 3) KPTV describes him as a substitute aide and reports that he had worked at the center for four years. (KPTV, Oct. 5; KPTV, Oct. 8) KOIN reports that, according to police, he began working in the school’s after-school program when he was 16. (KOIN)

Ortiz reportedly also ran an after-school program in which he was the only adult (KPTV, Oct. 8), and one parent told the media that he would occasionally run the after-school program alone with children. (KPTV, Oct. 5)

About Childswork Learning Center

Childswork Learning Center describes itself as a nonprofit preschool and childcare center that has served Southeast Portland families since 1984. (Childswork) According to its website, the program began as a single half-day class on the Tucker Maxon campus that brought deaf and hearing children together. (Childswork) IRS records show that it has been tax-exempt since 2000. (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer)

The organization’s website lists locations at 10525 SE Cherry Blossom Drive and 6161 SE Stark Street. (Childswork) The Southeast Examiner reported in February 2026 that Childswork planned to open an additional campus at 1920 SE 28th Avenue, with regular preschool classes beginning in September, and that Childswork serves as a Multnomah County Preschool for All location. (Southeast Examiner) The Cherry Blossom campus appears on the county’s list of participating Preschool for All programs for 2024–25. (Multnomah County)

Childswork’s most recent publicly available tax filing reports approximately $3.2 million in revenue for the fiscal year ending August 2025, roughly double the approximately $1.6 million reported two years earlier. (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer) The organization has also had recent leadership changes. In February 2026, the Southeast Examiner identified Rachel Essig as executive director and Mary Beth Kierstead as education director. (Southeast Examiner) A tax filing submitted in June 2026 lists Kierstead as interim executive director and two others, including Essig, as past executive directors (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer), and KATU identifies Kierstead as the executive director who notified parents of the allegations. (KATU, Oct. 3)

Parents Question Why They Were Not Told for Six Months

According to KATU, Childswork notified families by letter a few days after Ortiz’s September 28 arrest. (KATU, Oct. 3) That was roughly six months after the March 30 disclosure described by police. (Portland Police Bureau) The letter, as quoted by KATU, states that the school was notified in the spring of a report of possible abuse at its Cherry Blossom campus, immediately terminated the employee and notified authorities, and then, following law enforcement guidance, “worked quietly” to protect students without compromising the investigation. (KATU, Oct. 3)

One former Childswork parent told KATU that families were never told why Ortiz left, and that the delay cost them time to ask their children questions and seek help. (KATU, Oct. 3) Other parents told KPTV they are questioning why they were not told of the investigation sooner. (KPTV, Oct. 5)

A Childswork board member told KATU that the school followed law enforcement’s instructions not to communicate in ways that could put the investigation at risk, and that it alerted the community once Ortiz was arrested and charged. The former parent told KATU that, according to other parents, the lead investigator said he had not told the school to withhold the information and had expected the school to tell families while protecting the anonymity of victims. KATU reported that it asked the Portland Police Bureau to clarify. (KATU, Oct. 3)

A police sergeant told KPTV that the allegation had to be substantiated by evidence before an arrest could be made. (KPTV, Oct. 5) A detective said that the child initially refused to talk about what happened during an interview, and KPTV reports that she began telling her story after months of therapy. Detectives also said they could not search Ortiz’s phone for evidence until the child was ready to speak. (KPTV, Oct. 8)

Oregon’s rules for certified child care centers limit the circumstances in which a classroom aide may be alone with children. (OAR 414-305-0350) Public reporting has not established what staff classification Ortiz held, how the after-school program was staffed, or whether applicable rules and the school’s own policies were followed.

If Your Child Attended Childswork

• Share what you know with investigators. The Portland Police Bureau’s Child Abuse Team can be reached at crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov; reference case number 26-680206. (Portland Police Bureau) Suspected child abuse can also be reported to Oregon’s statewide hotline at 855-503-7233. (KATU, Oct. 3)
• Stay calm and supportive. Guidance published by Legacy Health advises caregivers to remain calm, noncritical, and nonjudgmental if a child discloses abuse, and to tell the child that telling was the right thing to do. (Legacy Health)
• Ask for help. The same guidance recommends seeking out healthcare providers and support services that can advise on the best way to assist a child and family. (Legacy Health) If you have concerns, consider contacting investigators before questioning your child in detail.
• Keep records. Save letters, emails, and other communications from the school, and note the dates and programs your child attended.

The Legal Rights of Children and Families

A criminal prosecution is not the only path to accountability. A child who has been sexually abused may also have civil claims against the abuser and, in appropriate cases, against an organization whose conduct allowed the abuse to occur. For claims arising on or after June 26, 2025, Oregon law provides that a civil action based on child sexual abuse, or on conduct allowing, permitting, or encouraging child sexual abuse, may be commenced at any time. (HB 3582 (2025); Oregon Laws 2025, ch. 447) Other deadlines and requirements can apply depending on the facts and on who the claim is against, so it is wise to seek advice early.

Whether Childswork Learning Center bears any legal responsibility has not been determined. However, child caring agencies can be civilly responsible for the misconduct of their employees, especially if it can be shown that the provider failed to adequately screen, supervise, or respond to warning signs about an employee.

Crew Janci Attorneys is a Portland-based law firm dedicated to representing survivors of child sexual abuse and their families in cases against schools, childcare providers, churches, and other youth-serving organizations. These cases help provide justice to survivors and hold organizations accountable.

If you believe your child may have been harmed at Childswork Learning Center, or you have information about Yonathan Ortiz, contact us confidentially by using our confidential submission form or by calling 1-888-407-0224. There is no cost to speak with us, and we will treat you with discretion and respect.

You are not alone. We are here to help. Crew Janci Attorneys.

Ongoing News Coverage

• Former Childcare Employee Arrested on Sex Abuse Charges, PPB Seeking Additional Victims (Portland Police Bureau, Oct. 5, 2026)
• Former Childswork teacher faces sex charges, parents question delay in notification (KATU, Oct. 3, 2026)
• Former Portland preschool employee accused of sexually abusing student (The Oregonian/OregonLive, Oct. 5, 2026)
• Former Portland child care worker arrested for sex abuse, police seek additional victims (Portland Tribune, Oct. 5, 2026)
• Parents ‘scared’ as police seek victims of preschool aide accused of child sex abuse (KPTV, Oct. 5, 2026)
• Former Portland childcare employee facing sex abuse charges may have more victims, police say (KOIN, Oct. 5, 2026)
• Former Portland preschool teacher charged with sex abuse; police believe there may be more victims (KGW, Oct. 5, 2026)
• Portland preschool aide denied bail in child sex abuse case; 8 potential victims come forward (KPTV, Oct. 8, 2026)
• Oregon teacher accused of sexual abuse of preschooler; more victims likely, prosecutor says (The Oregonian via The Chronicle, Oct. 9, 2026)