McMinnville Man Arraigned on 13 Charges Involving Child Sexual Abuse and Animal Assault

By Rebecca Wallis

Originally published October 7, 2025 • Updated October 9, 2025
2nd article written October 10, 2025 with updates. Indictment document and posted bail document in 2nd article linked here.

Update: This article was updated on October 9, 2025, to include a direct quote from Judge Ladd Wiles noting that the alleged conduct “occurred over a number of years.” This clarification appears in the “Release Conditions Tightened” section below.

Paul Brenton Bachand, 50, of McMinnville, appeared in Yamhill County Circuit Court today for arraignment on a 13-count sealed indictment, which includes multiple felony charges related to child sexual abuse and one misdemeanor involving sexual assault of an animal.

Indictment Filed Under Seal
Bachand’s indictment remains sealed, and his name was redacted from the court docket ahead of today’s hearing. No case information was available via the Oregon Judicial Department’s online portal. Despite the sealed nature of the charges, the arraignment was held in open court, allowing limited public observation of the proceedings.

Charges Read in Court
The judge informed Bachand that he faces:

• 11 counts of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse (Class B felonies), each carrying up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine;

• 1 count of second-degree encouraging child sexual abuse (Class C felony), with a maximum of 5 years in prison and a $125,000 fine;

• 1 count of encouraging sexual assault of an animal (Class A misdemeanor), punishable by up to 1 year in jail and a $6,250 fine.

Bachand confirmed that the indictment listed his correct name and date of birth. He stated he had no questions about his rights after viewing the court’s advisement video.

Attempt to Address Charges Promptly Halted
When asked if he had any questions, Bachand began to respond regarding the charges, but the judge quickly redirected him, advising him not to speak about the allegations publicly. The judge noted that a defense attorney, also present in the courtroom, would have instructed him similarly. “She’s here to protect you,” he said, emphasizing that Bachand is currently unrepresented and should speak only through counsel moving forward.

Court-Appointed Counsel Denied
Although Bachand applied for a court-appointed attorney, Judge Ladd Wiles denied the request, stating that Bachand had sufficient assets to retain private legal representation.

“You have assets with which you could hire your own attorney… These are pretty serious charges. You definitely want to have legal representation. So, I can’t tell you who to hire, but I can just say hire somebody,”
— Judge Ladd Wiles, October 7, 2025

Bachand was instructed to secure private counsel before his next court date.

Release Conditions Tightened
Though Bachand previously posted a $150,000 bond, the court amended his release conditions to include:

• No unsupervised internet access, with usage only permitted for non-prohibited purposes and under supervision;

• No contact with minors;

• No contact with animals.

The court acknowledged the seriousness of the charges, citing the potential for child victims and the allegation that the conduct occurred over a number of years, as grounds for the added release restrictions. Judge Wiles stated:

“I don’t know anything about the facts of this case, although you can just tell by the charges on the case that there’s potential child victims. This is alleged to have occurred over a number of years.”
— Judge Ladd Wiles, October 7, 2025

Next Court Date: November 13
Bachand is scheduled to appear again on November 13 at 8:30 a.m. At that hearing he is expected to enter a plea in response to the charges. The court expects him to retain legal council by then.

Business Ties in McMinnville
According to Oregon business records, Bachand is listed as a member and registered agent of RECIPE, LLC, located at 1705 NW Edgar Street in McMinnville. He is also publicly associated with PINCH restaurant & bar, located at 328 NE Evans Street, although PINCH is not currently registered with the Oregon Secretary of State.

Yamhill County News will continue to report on this case and any developments as they become available.

Photo Credit: Publicly available Facebook page located at https://www.facebook.com/pinchmac.