A Portland man whose 11-

year-old son is accused of using his gun in an attempted

carjacking broke down Wednesday as his three chil´

dren were made wards of the

state.

"I messed up horrible," Joseph D. Charlton told the juvenile court referee, his first public comments since he and his son were arrested. "I accept full responsibility."

"I don't think anybody would disagree that this could have resulted in a lot worse," Charlton said. "I don't disagree with how serious what he did was...that was horrible."

Charlton, accused in federal court of being a felon in possession of a firearm, is out of custody on pre-trial release.

Portland police said Charlton's 11-year-old son on Dec. 8 used his father's .22-caliber derringer handgun to threaten a 22-year-old woman who was seated in her pickup truck in the lot of a Southeast Portland church adjacent to the Charlton home. Police said the boy demanded her pickup, money and her phone. The woman drove away safely, and a neighbor called police.

Charlton and his wife, Kathryn Charlton, both acknowledged in court that they failed to provide adequate supervision to their children that placed them in harm's way. They have two sons, ages 11 and 7, and a 4-year-old daughter.

Kathryn Charlton also admitted that she maintained unsanitary and unsafe conditions in their home that put the children at risk and failed to maintain a safe environment that allowed their access to a deadly weapon.

According to a court affidavit, the mother told police her husband stored the gun in his truck and that's where her son had grabbed it.

Joseph Charlton

Joseph Charlton also admitted in court Wednesday that his substance abuse interfered with his ability to parent his children.

Judicial referree Elizabeth Fithian-Barrett ordered both parents to undergo a psychological evaluation, after attorneys appointed for the children noted that this isn't the first time the state Department of Human Services has removed the three Charlton children from their parents home.

The children were removed from the home in 2011, and the state child welfare agency closed the case several months before the attempted carjacking.

"Clearly, something was missed earlier in this family's life," said attorney Louise Palmer, who represents the 11-year-old boy.

Attorney Emily Cohen, who represents the 4-year-old, said in court that the first time the state had removed the Charlton children from their home was for similar reasons: lack of supervision and unsanitary conditions that put the kids at risk.

Their mother did reach out to a state Department of Human Services case worker, the mother's lawyer said, but was told there was nothing they could do for her in terms of financial assistance as the case had been closed.

The 11-year-old boy, who also faces pending juvenile criminal charges, is currently in an undisclosed treatment facility. The two younger children are in foster care.

They can remain wards of the state until they reach 21, but the goal is to provide services to the children and parents so they can be reunited at a later date, if possible, said Judith Swanson, a Multnomah County deputy district attorney.

Another hearing will be held in a year to determine if the state control will become permanent. If they're not returned to their parents, they could be adopted or placed with an appointed guardian.

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Joseph Charlton is participating in alcohol and drug treatment at Life Works, his lawyer said.

"I accept the help," he said. "I need it."

His wife, Kathryn Charlton, who is pregnant with their fourth child, urged the court to allow their 11-year-old son to meet with his dad. She said the 11-year-old boy feels tremendous guilt.

"(The boy) and his dad are very, very close. (The boy) deserves to talk to his father,'' she said. "Nobody is perfect. We made mistakes. We love him and we want what's best for him.''

The father, who has not been allowed to see his son, tried to shield his wife from the blame.

"My wife wasn't aware of 98 percent of what we were doing," he said. "It's me."

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