Loren Sensei Copp Found Guilty on Federal Child Sex Charges
A former St. Louis Dojo Pizza owner, Loren “Sensei” Copp, 49, has been found guilty on eight federal child sex charges by U.S. District Court Judge Audrey Fleissig. The charges, which involve four victims, include production and attempted production of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and the use of interstate facilities to persuade or coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity.
According to testimony at trial, Copp held himself out to be a trusted member of the community as a youth pastor, community activist, martial arts instructor, and business owner. He used these positions to gain the trust of parents to gain access to their children. For several years, defendant Copp groomed and sexually abused two minor females who had been in his custody since 2009.
The grooming process began when defendant Copp began touching the victims’ buttocks while playing “the butt game,” which then led to him touching their vaginas and breasts. Eventually, Copp began having sex with both girls, and he would record the sex acts with a cell phone or video recorder. While at the Dojo Pizza property, Copp would have sex with each girl multiple times a week, and while there he took pornographic pictures of one victim’s genitals and breasts. Copp would also watch pornography with one of the victims in his office at the Dojo Pizza property.
During trial, there was also evidence of Facebook chats between two additional minor female victims and a Facebook account utilized by Copp, which purported to be used by a 13-year-old named “Chrissy.” The aforementioned Facebook account depicted a facial image of a minor female for the profile picture, and this same Facebook profile picture of “Chrissy” was found on Copp’s computer, along with multiple pornographic images of the three victims that were sent to the “Chrissy” Facebook account.
Copp faces a term of fifteen years to life at sentencing, which has been set for April 5, 2019. “The bravery of the victims who testified at trial was essential to this case,” said U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen. “Without them and the relentless work of the investigative and trial teams, these verdicts would not have been rendered.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Winfield, Colleen Lang, and Investigator Donya Jackson.
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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