Sex abuse court hearings continued

The hearings for two Newton brothers who are facing multiple sex abuse charges have been continued in Jasper County District Court Monday.

Dustin W. Cooper, 39, was set to be sentenced following a guilty plea in September. The hearing is continued to Feb. 12.

Shawn Cooper’s hearing was rescheduled to Jan. 29. He was ordered in December to undergo a competency evaluation at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center Forensic Psychiatric Hospital.

Cooper and his brother Shawn D. Cooper, 41, are accused of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl over the course of several months, according to the NPD. The two men were arrested Aug. 25, 2017 following an investigation that began in March.

Dustin Cooper was charged with five counts of second-degree sexual abuse, a class B felony, and six counts of lascivious acts with a minor a class C felony.

Shawn Cooper was charged with 16 counts of second-degree sexual abuse, a class B felony.

Dustin Cooper is being held at the Jasper County Jail on a $135,000 bond. Shawn Cooper has a $375,000 bond.

Contact Kayla Singletary at
641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or ksingletary@newtondailynews.com