Former Oregon ministry leader sentenced on 10 counts of sex abuse

A 40-year-old Eugene man and former longtime ministry leader in Eugene was sentenced to life in prison after a jury found him guilty on 10 felony counts of rape and sex abuse.

Edward Samuel Thompson was sentenced to 125 years in prison Tuesday, with credit for time served and no eligibility for alternative incarceration. A jury unanimously found him guilty Nov. 10 of four counts of first-degree rape, five counts of first-degree sex abuse and one count first-degree sodomy.

First-degree rape, sex abuse and sodomy are all Measure 11 crimes in Oregon, meaning they carry minimum sentences. First-degree rape and sodomy have minimum sentences of eight years and four months and first-degree sex abuse of six years and three months.

Thompson was first arrested August 2018  and held in a federal correctional institution related to charges in a federal child pornography case.

At the time of his arrest, he worked as a music ministry leader at Christ Fellowship Church on River Road and was a former member of Eugene Faith Center. Christ Fellowship Church put out a statement at the time saying Thompson had no duties that involved supervision of children.

Charges of sexual abuse were then brought against him Lane County in 2019 after an elementary school-age child he regularly babysat since they were a toddler came forward to report being abused by Thompson.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit in 2019, the alleged abuse occurred between 2012 and 2018.

The child initially did not disclose any abuse, according to the affidavit. But in July 2019, the child confided in a counselor that they had been abused by Thompson for “as long as (they) could remember,” the affidavit stated.

Thompson was originally arraigned on 15 total felony charges in December 2019, with plans for trial in January which was postponed to Nov. 3 this year. The jury returned a verdict on Nov. 10, finding him guilty of the 10 counts.

While he may receive credit for time served, he cannot be considered for any form of reduction of sentence, conditional or supervised release, temporary leave from custody or work release, according to court documents. He is also not eligible for any release on post-prison supervision.