Owner of pet supply store gets 41-year sentence for raping 12-year-old girl

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The owner of a pet supply store on the Oregon Coast was sentenced to over 41 years in prison for sexually abusing a 12-year-old volunteer multiple times, the Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.

Daniel Stuebgen, 54, owner of Happy Trails Feed & Tack in Lincoln City and Green Acres Beach & Trail Rides in Pacific City, was found previously found guilty on several charges earlier this month. These included three counts of second-degree rape, two counts of second-degree sodomy, and four counts of first-degree sex abuse.

Lincoln City police and DHS originally began investigating the abuse in August 2023, when officers received a tip from a hotline detailing concerns about a sexual relationship between Stuebgen and a child who volunteered at both of his stores.

According to the DA’s Office, Stuebgen was advised to stay away from the child during the investigation. But around a month later, the child was reported as a runaway and found at Happy Trails Feed & Tack. Investigators then found evidence suggesting Stuebgen had actively hid the child from police and helped her run away.

After a five-day trial, a jury determined there were five separate instances of abuse of the preteen, as well as four photographs depicting child sexual abuse.

“This was a vulnerable child, and you exploited those vulnerabilities for a sexual purpose. You were able to get away with it for a very long time,” Lincoln County Circuit Court Judge Sheryl Bachart stated at the sentencing. “I don’t know how long this would have gone on if she hadn’t found the courage to report. Even when you knew the investigation was pending, you still continued to pursue her.”

Stuebgen’s sentencing for a total of 495 months also included four counts of using a child in display of sexually explicit conduct.