73-year-old Eugene man sentenced to 16 months after guilty plea on child sexual abuse material charges

 



UPDATE: Eugene, Ore. — Andrew Edmund Goble, 73, was booked into the Lane County Jail today after pleading guilty to three counts of Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, according to the court smart search portal. This charge involves illegal child porn, better known as CSAM (child sexual abuse material).

He was sentenced to 16 months in prison followed by approximately three years of post-prison supervision. Good-time credit and early release provisions apply. Goble may face deportation to Australia upon release.

He remains at the Lane County Jail awaiting transport to Coffee Creek Correctional Facility for intake, after which he will be transferred to an all-male Oregon prison.

ORIGINAL STORY


Andrew Edmund Goble, age 72, a longtime professor in the Department of History at the University of Oregon, was booked into the Lane County Jail on November 21, 2025, facing 10 counts of Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse in the First Degree and 10 counts of Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree.

On November 20, 2025, at approximately 7 a.m., Lane County Sheriff’s detectives executed a search warrant at a residence of Goble's in the 1900 block of Dogwood Drive in Eugene. This search warrant stemmed from an investigation by the Lane County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, focusing on child exploitation.
The charges, which are felonies under Oregon law, typically involve the possession, duplication, or distribution of materials depicting the sexual abuse of children. 
Goble, a specialist in pre-modern Japanese history with a focus on medieval Japan, has been a faculty member at the University of Oregon since 1990. His research interests include illness, mortality, and medical concepts in medieval Japan, as well as treatment practices in the 16th century. He has taught a range of courses over the years, including History of Japan, Medicine and Society in Pre-modern Japan, East Asian Civilization, and Buddhism and Society in Medieval Japan.
Among his notable publications are:
  • Kenmu: Go-Daigo's Revolution (Harvard University Press, 1996)
  • "Social Change, Knowledge, and History: Emperor Hanazono's Admonitions to the Crown Prince" (Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, 1995)
  • "Truth, Contradiction, and Harmony in Medieval Japan: Emperor Hanazono (1297-1348) and Buddhism" (Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, 1989)
  • "The Officials of the Kamakura Bakufu" in The Bakufu in Japanese History (Stanford University Press, 1985)
Goble, who has been with the University of Oregon for 35 years, holds a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Queensland in Australia and has been recognized for his scholarship in East Asian studies.
The University of Oregon has not yet issued a public statement regarding the arrest. As of this reporting, Goble remains in custody at the Lane County Jail. No court date has been announced.
Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse in the First Degree is a Class B felony in Oregon, punishable by up to 10 years in prison per count, while the Second Degree is a Class C felony with potential sentences of up to 5 years per count.
This case is developing, and further details are expected as the legal process unfolds.
Goble is assumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Goble's charges are subject to change at anytime. Charges listed here are accurate at the time of publication.
Information on charges from the Lane County Jail - Information on Goble as a UO Professor, and his picture, from the UO public website
Further information from LCSO

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© Written by: M. Weber

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