A man convicted in 2011 of performing unlicensed medical exams on teenage boys served on the Pierce County Parks & Recreation Citizens Advisory Board for nearly two years before resigning in July, after a newspaper investigation linked him to his former identity.

Jay Beck, 52, who legally changed his name from Jayson Boehm in 2019, stepped down from the volunteer board on July 15 after The News Tribune contacted him about his criminal record. Beck had been appointed to the District 2 seat in September 2023 by then-County Executive Bruce Dammeier and unanimously confirmed by the Pierce County Council. He was the only applicant.

Pierce County does not run background checks on volunteer board appointees and does not require applicants to disclose criminal history. Tacoma and Seattle operate under the same policy for their own boards and commissions.

The conviction

Under his former name, Boehm pleaded guilty in King County Superior Court to four counts: unlicensed practice of medicine, theft and forgery. All but one were felonies. He entered an Alford plea, which allows a defendant to maintain innocence while conceding prosecutors have enough evidence to convict. He was sentenced to 13 months in prison.

At the time, Boehm worked as a Highline School District stadium manager and volunteer athletic trainer. State Health Department records describe roughly 26 examinations in which he touched boys' testicles. He also injected three students with what appeared to be pain medication or antibiotics without a license. A King County Sheriff's Office detective found probable cause to charge Boehm with two counts of indecent liberties, but prosecutors never filed those charges.

As treasurer of a high school booster club, Boehm took $82,000 from two club accounts and an estimated $18,000 from the district, according to Seattle Red. A court record shows he was ordered to pay $55,000 in restitution.

What happens next

County Executive Ryan Mello's office has been reviewing screening processes for board and commission candidates since last year. Plog said the review is expected to be finalized by the end of 2026 and was not prompted by Beck's case specifically.

Pierce County lists 50 boards and commissions on its website, all filled by volunteer appointees who are not currently subject to background checks.