Former Florence Museum Director Sentenced After Yearlong Abuse

On November 18, 2025, a Lane County Circuit Court judge sentenced Geoffrey Cannon, 27, to five years of probation after he pleaded guilty on November 6 to second degree sexual abuse of an underage volunteer. Judge Debra Vogt ordered Cannon to avoid all contact with the girl and to register as a sex offender, and the plea agreement includes a stipulation that a probation violation could trigger a longer period of incarceration.

Court documents say the abuse occurred on or between August 1, 2024 and July 10, 2025. Cannon had served as director of the Oregon Coast Military Museum in Florence. After his July arrest he was placed on paid leave, and the museum announced his termination on September 30. Published reports of audio from an informal meeting of museum board members and others in July included disparaging remarks about the girl, prompting public backlash and a temporary closure of the museum.

The victim addressed the court during the sentencing hearing. “I’m almost 17, carrying more responsibility than he is,” she said, explaining she had taken responsibility for her choices while saying the defendant had blamed her. “The problem was not me. He was an adult, my mentor, my supervisor, my friend, and he allowed and encouraged this relationship to happen,” she said, later adding that “he abused me for almost an entire year.”

The girl’s mother also spoke at the hearing, urging the judge to impose incarceration rather than probation. She described Cannon’s conduct as “not a lapse in judgment or a one-time mistake,” calling it a “yearlong campaign of calculated abuse.” She told the court Cannon had been “positioning himself as a trusted figure, all the while he was grooming my daughter behind my back,” and said he had “manipulated her into believing she was in a relationship.”

Cannon addressed the court and acknowledged wrongdoing. “I crossed a line that should have never been crossed,” he said. “I genuinely believed in the relationship and thought it meant forever and always.” He added that he could not undo the harm and that he intended to continue therapy and “stay accountable.” After the hearing the victim’s mother told reporters she was disappointed by the sentence, saying “somebody that abuses your kid for an entire year should face at least some time behind bars, not zero.” She said the museum’s new board chair had shown support for the family as efforts continue to reopen the institution.

Beyond this case, the sentencing underscores broader public health and community concerns in Lane County. Youth who are victims of sexual abuse can face long term mental health consequences, and families often need sustained access to counseling and support services. The episode also raises questions about oversight and governance in small nonprofit institutions that rely on volunteers and close relationships between staff and young community members. For local leaders, advocates and service providers the case highlights the need for clear policies, stronger volunteer screening and training, reliable reporting pathways, and adequate funding for trauma informed care so that survivors and their families can access healing and the community can rebuild trust.