Galion Sex Predator Richard Cooper Sentenced to Over a Decade

Richard Cooper, a 32-year-old resident of Galion, Ohio, has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison for his despicable child-pornography conviction. The sentencing was announced by Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Cooper, who pleaded guilty in October 2012, was handed down 121 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi. His heinous crime involved the receipt and distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexual activity.

Dettelbach emphasized the importance of protecting children from predators like Cooper. “The evidence found here by the FBI and Galion Police Department is profoundly troubling, and this defendant deserves to be behind bars,” Dettelbach said.

Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland office, echoed these sentiments: “Richard Cooper possessed an alarming amount of child pornography and must be held accountable. The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, is committed to protecting children from predators.”

The investigation into Cooper’s activities began when Galion police officers executed a search warrant on October 12, 2011. They discovered 47 videos and approximately 772 images of child pornography being shared by his computer, along with an additional 644 images on two compact discs.

A subsequent forensic examination revealed a chilling total of 1,416 images of child pornography and 47 videos depicting sexual acts involving children as young as four months. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Sullivan, following an investigation led by the Galion Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mansfield Office.