Petaluma Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For Sexual Assault

Petaluma CA

22 February, 2021

7:08 PM

Description

PETALUMA, CA – A 30-year-old Petaluma man was found guilty of three counts of felony sexual assault crimes that took place in 2019 and will serve between 15 years to life in prison in addition to nine more years behind bars after being sentenced by a Sonoma County judge, prosecutors announced Monday. Brandon B. Cooper was found guilty of the charges in connection with an investigation that was launched after the mother of an 11-year-old child said that the boy had been sexually assaulted by Cooper a few years earlier, Sonoma County Jill Ravitch said. The investigation determined that Cooper was involved in oral copulation of the child and that he had been a family friend who had frequent access to the child, prosecutors said. Cooper gained the boy's trust before engaging in the behavior, prosecutors said. "This defendant has repeatedly victimized young and vulnerable members of this community," Ravitch said in a news release. "His life sentence will provide protection for others and hopefully assist with healing from the emotional turmoil his victims have suffered." At Monday's sentencing hearing, the boy's mother described Cooper as a cold, calculating, violent and manipulative person who does not deserve to ever feel freedom again. Last March, the boy testified about Cooper's actions and evidence was also introduced that related to a separate incident in which Cooper was convicted of sexual assault, Ravitch said. Prosecutors said that previous conviction involved Cooper causing his friend's developmentally delayed sister to orally copulate him, prosecutors said. Under the guidelines of his sentence, prosecutors Cooper will likely become eligible for parole consideration after serving approximately 19 years of his sentence. Both Cooper's prior conviction for sexual battery, as well as his latest convictions require Cooper to register as a sex offender if granted parole.