Gazebo Gazette
James Cooper was found guilty of the charge of Sexual Battery and Touching of a Child for Lustful Purposes by a Harrison County jury late last week. After the three-day trial, the jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning their guilty verdict. Circuit Court Judge Lisa P. Dodson presided over the trial and sentenced Cooper to Life in prison with the Mississippi Department of Corrections Monday, April 22, 2024.
During the trial, the jury heard testimony from the adult victim describing how Cooper, a family member, had sexually assaulted her in a house in Long Beach when she was 10 years old. The jury heard the victim was in school in Missouri when she disclosed the sexual assault to a therapist. The therapist testified for the jury describing the initial disclosure and subsequent disclosure to others.
“During their investigation, a Detective with the Long Beach Police Department was able to locate three prior victims of the Defendant. All three victims, now adults, testified at trial about how the Defendant sexually assaulted them when they were between 8 and 16 years old,” stated Assistant District Attorney Matthew D. Burrell, who prosecuted the case along with Assistant District Attorney George Peterman.
“The victim showed amazing courage in reporting these crimes to her therapist, to authorities, and participating in the investigation and trial. We commend the other victims as well for testifying about those traumatic experiences they went through as young girls. The thorough investigation by the Detective helped bring to justice a man who has been sexually assaulting young girls for decades,” stated District Attorney W. Crosby Parker.
