On November 15th at about 6:30 a.m., Lane County Sheriff’s detectives served a search warrant at a residence in the 1400 block of W. Hilliard Ln. in Eugene. The search warrant stemmed from an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, focusing on child exploitation. The suspect, Brett Ronald Steele, 60, a registered sex offender, was contacted at the location and arrested. Steele was lodged at the Lane County Jail on the following charges: - 2 counts of Encouraging Child Sex Abuse in the 1st Degree; - 2 counts of Encouraging Child Sex Abuse in the 2nd Degree; The Lane County Sheriff’s Office received assistance during this investigation from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Springfield Police Department, Oregon State Police, Cottage Grove Police Department, and the Oregon Department of Justice. This arrest is part of an ongoing effort by local and federal law enforcement agencies to combat child exploitation and protect vulnerable members of our community. The investigation is ongoing, and no further details are available at this time.