A Springfield man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing two children under the age of 14.
Gerald Albert Cooper, 35, pleaded guilty on March 26 to two counts of the unclassified felony of statutory sodomy/attempted deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 14 years old.
According to online court records, Cooper waived his right to a sentencing assessment report and Judge Todd Myers sentenced Cooper to 10 years in the Department of Corrections on both counts. Those sentences are to be served consecutively.
As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped one count of statutory sodomy and one count of child molestation.
Cooper is currently in Greene County jail awaiting transport to the Missouri Department of Corrections.
According to the probable cause statement for the two statutory sodomy charges, Cooper is accused of sexually assaulting two child victims.
During forensic interviews at the Child Advocacy Center in 2021, one victim disclosed the abuse began when she was around 8 or 9.
The other victim disclosed in 2022 the abuse began when she was around age 7. Both victims said the abuse occurred over several years — at least five years. One victim described Cooper abusing her about twice a week.
When Cooper was interviewed by an officer with the Springfield Police Department in 2021, he admitted to touching and rubbing the victim's body but denied penetrating the child’s genitals with his penis, fingers or sex toys — as the child described in the forensic interview.
Online court records show Cooper also pleaded guilty on March 26 to misdemeanor second-degree sex abuse. Myers sentenced Cooper to 287 days in Greene County jail with credit for time served.
