March 28, 2024

Newton man to be sentenced in sex abuse case

A Newton man will be sentenced this month after pleading guilty to five counts of second-degree sex abuse in Jasper County District Court.

Dustin W. Cooper, 39, will appear in court Monday. Cooper was initially charged after an investigation by Newton police revealed he and his brother, Shawn D. Cooper, 41, were allegedly sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl over the course of several months.

The two men were arrested Aug. 25 following an investigation that began in March.

Investigators also allege that between December 2016 and March 2017, Dustin Cooper had sexually abused the same victim five times and committed lascivious acts with the victim six times at his Newton residence.

Shawn Cooper was charged with 16 counts of second-degree sexual abuse, a class B felony. He pleaded not guilty Sept. 5.

According to court documents, Shawn Cooper will undergo a competency evaluation at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center Forensic Psychiatric Hospital.