Eugene Church Leader Arrested For Child Pornography: FBI

EUGENE, OR — The music ministry leader for Christ Fellowship Church in Eugene was arrested this week and charged with crimes related to accessing, receiving, possessing, and distributing child pornography, Oregon FBI official announced Friday.

Edward Samuel Thompson, 38, was arrested at his home in Eugene on Aug. 21 and taken to the Springfield Municipal Jail, where he remains.

Thompson, according to the Oregon FBI, is a long-time member of the Christ Fellowship Church, located at 1011 Irvington Dr. in Eugene, where he currently leads the church's music ministry. Previously, Thompson was a member of the Eugene Faith Center — where he still plays volleyball, FBI officials said.

Videos on the Christ Fellowship Church Facebook page appear to show Thompson playing guitar and singing nonsecular music.

Calls to Christ Fellowship Church were not returned.

Court records obtained by Patch show Thompson was arrested and charged with sex abuse and sodomy in 1995, though it's unclear whether those crimes were committed against a minor; Thompson himself was only 16 at the time. Ultimately, Thompson was convicted on only the sex abuse charge, for which he was sentenced to more than six years in prison. His projected release date was in 2002.

"Parents who have a child who has come in contact with Thompson should let that child know that Thompson has been arrested for inappropriate behavior," FBI spokeswoman Beth Anne Steele said in a statement. "Parents should tell that child that if Thompson did, or said, anything inappropriate to the child to let the parents know. If a child discloses an incident that did happen to him or her or that the child observed an innappropriate incident happen to someone else, the parent should not ask the child detailed questions about the incident. Instead, please contact Eugene Police Detective Chris Mackey at 541-682-5175 or call the FBI at 541-343-5222."

(Sign up for our free daily newsletters and Breaking News Alerts for the Oregon Patch)

Image via Springfield Municipal Jail