Video: Pontotoc Man Charged with Child Molestation

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Richard Cooper

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) — A Pontotoc man is accused of molesting three children he brought to Tupelo as he was doing yard work at a residence.

57-year-old Richard Earl Cooper was arrested earlier today after the Lee County Sheriff’s Department received a tip that Cooper had molested three children under the age of 10.

Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson says the alleged incident occurred earlier this month as Cooper came to Tupelo to do yard work.

Johnson says Cooper is accused of molesting the children as they were in Tupelo.

Cooper is a registered sex offender, and was convicted in 1996 on similar charges.

“I know our office has it as a public website for individuals to go on and look on where you will know what they look like, what they’ve been charged, know where they are living and someone has to take responsibility of the caregivers of their homes to keep kids away from these individuals,” Johnson said.

Johnson says charges may also be filed in Pontotoc, where Cooper is being investigated for a similar incident involving the same kids.

The victims aren’t related to Cooper.

Cooper is charged with three counts of child molestation; bond was set at $300,000.