EUGENE, Ore. — Geoffrey Cannon, the former director of the Oregon Coast Military Museum in Florence, was sentenced to five years of supervised probation Tuesday for second degree sex abuse of a 15-year-old girl — a sentence the victim and her mother say is not enough.
The abuse happened between August 2024 through July 2025.
Cannon, 27 years old at the time, was indicted in July on four counts of second degree sex abuse of the teen, who was a volunteer at the museum.
We spoke with the victim and her mother following the sentencing, on the condition of anonymity.
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The victim’s mother said she discovered the abuse while volunteering at the museum herself.
She went looking for her daughter and found her with Cannon in the museum parking lot.
“He said, ‘I’ll never betray your trust like that, I’ll never break your trust.’ But you know, one of the things I want to say is sexual abuse of a teenager doesn’t usually look like you think it does. It looks like building their trust, becoming friends; he made her feel seen, validated, important, and she is. I mean she’s a pretty awesome kid,” the victim’s mother said.
During the sentencing, the victim, who described Cannon as her first boyfriend, detailed the emotional impact of the relationship — from losing friends and money to becoming a pariah in her small town.
While her mother painted Cannon as manipulative, remorseless and a danger to her daughter.
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Though each of Cannon’s four counts carried a maximum penalty of five years in prison each, Cannon took a plea deal to avoid jail time.
Lawyers for Cannon said they believe Tuesday’s sentence was a fair outcome.
But the victim and her mother are frustrated by the sentence and concerned Cannon has no incentive to avoid contacting the teen.
“I told the district attorney that I said, look, you’re talking about a groomed teenager and I know that that sounds unfair, but you’re talking about a child who fell in love with their abuser,” the victim’s mother said. “Most teenagers will defend their abuser, many of them much longer than she did.”
“At this point, I’m like, I’m done. If I could just, like, erase it, it doesn’t exist, and we just move on with life, that’s what I do,” the victim said.
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There were good reasons for negotiations in this case, according to Lane County District Attorney Chris Parosa, who said Cannon’s lack of prior criminal history could have led to less supervised probation time combined with prison time, if a plea deal was not offered.
“…we wanted both additional time for supervised probation over Mr. Cannon and the ability to significantly penalize him if he violates his probation,” Parosa said.
If Cannon does not comply with his probation, he is subject to a potential sentence of 34-36 months in prison, Parosa said.
As part of the plea deal, Cannon must undergo sex offender treatment and have no contact with minors.
Cannon took the stand and said he regretted his actions and the impact they had on the victim, her family, and the community.
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A statement released by the museum’s board of directors states the museum has a new board and new board president after the resignation of former board president Gary Cannon, Geoffrey Cannon’s father.
The statement says, in part:
The newly appointed Board is committed to restoring the museum and strengthening its operations. The Board brings a range of strengths, including organizational experience, renewed oversight, and a deep dedication to preserving and sharing our military history. To ensure a successful reopening, the Board is currently reviewing records, organizing exhibits, and rebuilding internal processes — a necessary step that will take time but is essential to long-term success.
When the museum reopens, it will begin with limited operating hours, gradually expanding as staffing and resources allow.
The Board anticipates the need for volunteers and welcomes community involvement once the museum is ready for that next step.
Our goal is to reopen the museum in the best possible light. We want to ensure that when the doors open, the community is welcomed into a well-organized, respectful, and engaging space that honors the legacy of our service members.
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
