Springfield man sentenced to prison in child pornography case

A 43-year-old Springfield man was sentenced Wednesday by a U.S. District Court judge in Eugene to 14 years in prison for repeatedly possessing and distributing photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse.

In 2006, Randy Cook, 43, was convicted of state child pornography charges in Missouri, where he served a prison sentence for sending child sexual abuse material to a minor, engaging in chats with a minor and engaging in additional sexual chats with an undercover law enforcement agency. According to court documents, an officer poses as a minor.

After his release from prison in Missouri, Cook was required to register as a sex offender.

Cook allegedly resumed distributing child sexual abuse material online in the summer of 2020 and spring of 2021, using multiple accounts on Kik Messenger while living in Springfield, court records show. This discovery led investigators to execute a search warrant on Cook’s home, truck, and person on June 11, 2021, where they discovered approximately 194 images and 63 videos depicting child sexual abuse.

Court documents show Cook was later arrested in July 2021 and charged on a criminal complaint of possessing and distributing child pornography. A federal grand jury in Eugene indicted Cook on the same charges in July 2023.

While Cook’s case was being conducted in Eugene, an FBI task force officer in Louisiana investigating an unrelated case began speaking to an individual on Kik in December 2023 who was later determined to be Cook. In conversations with the officer online, Cook claimed he engaged in sex acts with children and sent the officer an explicit video of a child.

Cook was then arrested a second time on Dec. 14, 2023, when he left his Springfield home to plead guilty in federal court, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oregon.

On January 14, 2024, Cook pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

In addition to 14 years in prison, Cook was also sentenced to life in prison under supervision.

Anyone with information regarding the physical or online exploitation of children is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov .

Haleigh Kochanski is a breaking news and public safety reporter for The Register-Guard. You can reach her at [email protected].

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