Lane County deputies arrested University of Oregon professor Andrew Goble Friday on allegations of encouraging child sexual abuse, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Goble, 72, is a professor in the university’s medieval studies program specializing in Japan. The university put Goble on leave after learning Friday about his arrest from the sheriff’s office, the university said in a statement.
“We understand that this news is deeply concerning to our community. According to law enforcement, the individual does not present any current threat to the university community, and the investigation has found no indication that any students were involved or at risk,” the university’s statement said. “The university will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement as the investigation proceeds.”
Goble was listed as the instructor in three history classes this fall term, including an introductory world history class and two higher-level classes on Japanese history, according to a university class schedule.
He faces 10 charges each of first- and second-degree encouraging child sexual abuse.
Encouraging child sexual abuse means possessing or accessing visual recordings of “sexually explicit conduct involving a child.”
The first-degree version of the charge alleges a suspect copied, sold or distributed the recordings, while the second-degree charge alleges a suspect purposefully viewed or accessed the recordings.
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