A convicted sex offender accused of indecent exposure in multiple girls’ locker rooms in Arlington has been found guilty of possessing child pornography.
Richard Kenneth Cox — who is still awaiting trial for other instances of allegedly claiming to be transgender in order to access girls’ locker rooms at Arlington Public Schools pools and remain there while naked — was found guilty of two counts of possession of child pornography yesterday (Wednesday).
Cox was previously convicted of nine counts of possession of child pornography in Fairfax County in 2007. Jurors found Cox guilty after a three-day trial and two hours of deliberation, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney said in a press release.
The offender faces up to 20 years in prison at a sentencing on May 1. Cox is scheduled to go to trial on April 20 for other charges of indecent exposure, indecent liberties with a child and loitering at a school after a sex conviction.
“Possession of child pornography is never a victimless crime, because if there were no market for it, people would not abuse children and create it,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti said. “We can never heal the trauma of those children, but we can hold accountable people like Mr. Cox, who create the conditions that perpetuate the exploitation of children and make it profitable.”
“The jury had a difficult job and I thank them profusely for their service,” she continued.
Cox, who is identified as male in the most recent court filings, was arrested in December 2024 at Barcroft Sports & Fitness Center following allegations of other incidents after hours at Washington-Liberty High School and Wakefield High School.
Cox’s arrest prompted renewed debate around APS’ policy of letting transgender and non-binary people use bathrooms and locker rooms that best match their gender identity, as well as school officials’ handling of months of reported complaints.
The case became a talking point for Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears during her unsuccessful bid for governor and was referenced in a lawsuit against the Arlington School Board and Fairfax County School Board from former Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) and 20 of his counterparts in other states.
The full press release from the commonwealth’s attorney’s office is below.
After a three-day jury trial in Arlington County Circuit Court, a jury has found Richard K. Cox guilty of two counts of possession of child pornography, second or subsequent offense.
Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorneys Nassir Aboreden and Abhimanyu Mehta prosecuted the case on behalf of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth presented evidence over the course of the trial demonstrating that Mr. Cox knowingly possessed child sexual abuse materials. Following just two hours of deliberations, the jury returned a guilty verdict. Cox was previously convicted of nine counts of possession of child pornography in 2007 in Fairfax County.
Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Nassir Aboreden argued in closing arguments that, “this is a case about voiceless victims. Although we don’t know their names, what happened to them was a crime. Richard Cox must be held accountable.”
Sentencing is scheduled for May 1, 2026. Cox faces a maximum potential sentence of 20 years. Mr. Cox goes to trial on unrelated charges on April 20, 2026.
The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church extends its appreciation to the investigators, digital forensic analysts, and community partners who supported this prosecution.
Commonwealth’s Attorney, Parisa Dehghani-Tafti said, “Possession of child pornography is never a victimless crime, because if there were no market for it, people would not abuse children and create it. We can never heal the trauma of those children, but we can hold accountable people like Mr. Cox, who create the conditions that perpetuate the exploitation of children and make it profitable. The jury had a difficult job and I thank them profusely for their service.”
