A senior who confessed to committing over 30 historical sexual offences against minors has been incarcerated. Gary Cooper will be over 100 years old before he becomes eligible to seek for parole.
The 79-year-old paedophile, Gary Cooper, from Stafford perpetrated abuse against five children over a span of 15 years, irrevocably damaging their childhoods. One of his victims labelled Cooper as ‘pure evil’ after disclosing their struggle to continue.
The malevolent sex offender confessed to 11 charges of rape, 20 charges of indecent assault, and three charges of child indecency. Gary Cooper, residing on Within Lane in Stafford, was sentenced to 27 years in prison yesterday (April 5).
Gary Cooper must serve a minimum of twelve years of his eighteen-year sentence before being eligible for release. Taunton Crown Court was informed that the perpetrator groomed and abused his victims in Taunton, Somerset, from the 1980s until the early 2000s.
A two-year investigation was launched by Avon and Somerset Police when one victim stepped forward in 2021. Other victims then reported their abuse to police.
One of those abused at the hands of Gary Cooper said: “What happened has ruined my life. I can say that for many years, I have suffered from nightmares as a result of being sexually abused by Cooper. My childhood was awful. I was angry when I was young and I am still angry now.”
Another victim said they were ‘angry’, adding: “He destroyed my childhood and that has had such an impact on my life as an adult. I am so angry that he did this to me.
“I want him and the court to know how much hurt and distress this has caused me throughout my life.” A third victim said in a statement: “As a victim of sexual abuse, you try to deal with it, but it just never goes away.
“It is always there. Throughout the police investigation, it has been so difficult to carry on. It never goes away. I just want justice to be done, justice for me and for all of [his victims].
“We need closure so we can all move forward. Gary Cooper is just pure evil. What he did was disgusting.” DC Harvey Ahern, who was the officer in the case, said his team scoured through hundreds of documents to compile their case.
He said: “This was a difficult and complex investigation resulting in hundreds of evidential documents being collated and numerous interviews being carried out. I wish to commend the bravery and resilience of the victims and witnesses who have remained strong and dedicated throughout the investigation and court process.
“This result would not have been possible without their courage and kind faith in us as a service, and I hope this conviction encourages other victims of sexual abuse to come forward.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 111 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.