Eugene Man Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

 


EUGENE, Ore. - A 45-year-old Eugene man, Larry Wayne Merrill, was arrested on Friday, August 29th, 2025, following an investigation by the Eugene Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit (VCU). The investigation began after a cyber tip alerted authorities to Merrill’s online activities. The VCU executed a search warrant on his vehicle and residence in northeast Eugene, leading to his arrest on 10 counts of Encouraging Child Sex Abuse in the First Degree, commonly known as possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
Merrill was booked into the Lane County Jail, with additional charges pending as the investigation continues. CSAM, also referred to as child pornography, is illegal, and authorities emphasize that the children depicted are unwilling victims.
The Eugene Police Department is part of the regional Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a national network of over 5,400 law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies. Since 1998, the ICAC has worked to combat cybercrimes against children, focusing on apprehending distributors of CSAM and online sexual predators.
Case number: 25-13140.

Michael Weber, known for his extensive coverage of crime news in Lane County, continues to provide valuable updates to the local community. He runs the largest crime watch group in Lane County, Lane County Mugshots Uncensored, which currently has over 88,200 members. Support for local journalism is essential, and donations can be made via Venmo to @Michael-Weber-379 (last four digits of phone number: 0825).

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