The family of a teenage girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by 27-year-old Geoffrey Cannon, director of the Oregon Coast Military Museum in Florence, is speaking out, alleging their daughter was a 15-year-old volunteer at the museum when the abuse occurred.
“Our child deserved a safe, supportive place to learn and contribute; not to be exploited by someone in power,” the teen’s mother said in a news release.
On July 22, Cannon was indicted by a Lane County grand jury on four counts of second-degree sex abuse for engaging in both oral and sexual intercourse with the teen, a Class C Felony that carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison.
According to Nicole Revoal, a spokesperson for the victim’s family, the teenager was allegedly groomed by Cannon for over a year and was misled about the age of consent. The family also alleges Cannon regularly instructed the teen to keep the relationship a secret.
The victim’s family also said digital communications being reviewed in court allegedly include references to BDSM, explicit sex acts, and demands of secrecy.
Board members talk about case
In a recording of a board meeting involving the family of the abused teen and leaders at the Oregon Coast Military Museum shared with The Register-Guard, a board member said the teenager is not innocent and is “not a little girl.”
“I think your daughter could be a promiscuous little slut and you don’t know it,” the board member said. “And I think you need to get a real handle on that. Think about a young girl that knows how to manipulate men with sex and has done it before.”
Gary Cannon, Geoffrey’s father, is president of the museum’s board. He is also a decorated Vietnam War veteran and retired teacher. During the meeting, he said the victim “knew what she was doing.”
The victim’s family and local advocates condemned the remarks as inappropriate and indicative of a broader failure of institutional accountability on the museum’s behalf.
Locals are now calling on the museum to immediately remove Cannon from his leadership role, conduct an independent review of the museum’s board and leadership conduct, as well as provide stronger safeguards for youth volunteers working at nonprofits across Oregon.
“The museum’s failure to act decisively, and the board’s victim-blaming remarks, have only deepened our pain. No other young person should be put at risk under the guise of mentorship or service,” the victim’s family said in a statement.
Representatives from the Oregon Coast Military Museum declined to comment for this story.
In a July 15 post to social media, the museum said the news was received as a great shock to museum staff.
“We would ask our community to please withhold judgment until the case runs its course,” the social media post said. “We want to assure everyone that the Museum is continuing to operate every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.”
According to court documents, Cannon was released from custody at the Lane County Jail on July 11 and placed under an electronic monitoring program. He was ordered not to have contact with any person under the age of 18 and not to have any offensive contact, including engaging in physical, sexual or psychological abuse, with another person. He has a pre-trial hearing scheduled for Oct. 15.
Haleigh Kochanski is a breaking news and public safety reporter for The Register-Guard. You may reach her atĀ HKochanski@registerguard.com.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Family calls for Oregon Coast Military Museum director removal
