Motion Picture Academy Member Jeffrey Cooper Found Guilty of Child Molestation

Jeffrey Cooper, an architect and member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has been convicted after a jury trial on three counts of felony child molestation, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

The jury’s verdict came May 20 at Los Angeles Superior Court in Van Nuys. Cooper was arrested four years ago and indicted on eight counts involving two children. Judge Alan Schneider declared a mistrial on the five counts brought by the second child.

Cooper pleaded not guilty to all counts. He will be sentenced on June 1 and could face 12 years in prison. He is being held without bail as the judge deemed him a flight risk, according to the Times.

Cooper has been involved in building studio and sound mixing facilities and sound design for theaters. The victim said that Cooper positioned himself as a musical mentor but molested her in a recording studio when she was 12 or 13.

After the verdict was delivered, Dave Ring, an attorney for the accusers, said, “Obviously the families are disappointed that the jury didn’t convict as to one victim, but they are very pleased to see the jury at least convicted as to the second victim. It was incredibly satisfying for them to see Cooper immediately remanded to prison for what he did. They’ve been put through nothing short of hell during the last four years of criminal proceedings,” according to the Times.

Cooper was named a member of AMPAS in 2002. His conviction for a felony triggers an internal review process for the Academy, which is all but certain to end with his expulsion from the Hollywood institution. The Academy, like other industry organizations, has been forced to toughen up its behavioral standards for members in the wake of #MeToo revelations and other cultural movements.

A representative for AMPAS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


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