Newton man sentenced to 25 years in sex abuse case

A Newton man who pleaded guilty in November to five counts of second-degree sexual abuse was sentenced to 25 years in prison Monday in Jasper County District Court.

Dustin W. Cooper, 39, 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, 2017, following an investigation that began in March of last year.

Investigators also said 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.

Dustin Cooper received 25 years for each of the five counts and the sentences will run concurrently.

Charges against Dustin Cooper's brother, Shawn Cooper, were dropped in January when he was found not competent to stand trail.

For more on today's sentencing hearing, check newtondailynews.com as details develop and Tuesday's print edition of the Newton Daily News.