Rochester Man Sentenced to Probation For Child Porn Convictions

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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man convicted arm child pornography charges has been given an opportunity to stay out of prison.

32-year-old Joshua Coop was sentenced Monday on one count of dissemination of child pornography and two counts of possessing child pornography. He was given a stayed prison sentence of 57 months and was placed on probation for 15 years. The judge in the case also sentenced him to 233 days in jail but credited him for the 233 days has already spent in jail.

Coop admitted to the three charges last month through a plea agreement that resulted in the dismissal of another dissemination charge and another count of possession of child pornography. He was originally charged in April after Rochester police executed a search warrant that led to the seizure of a cell phone and several other electronic devices.

Police began investigating Coop last fall when a Rochester police investigator was provided with videos "involving children that appeared to be as young as five engaged in sexual acts." A thorough search of the cell phone seized by investigators turned up more than 80 child pornography videos on the device.

The criminal complaint says investigators determined that most of the videos were of juveniles engaging in sexual acts. One of the children was a young girl who had close contact with Coop.