"Fourteen years later, victims are still coming forward, and that is remarkable. The red flags were obvious here, and we are seeing more cases where the reports are ignored."
Victor Wayne Cooper, 69, lived in Novato when the crimes occurred. He allegedly molested a 6-year-old Novato girl, the daughter of an acquaintance, over a five-month period. The crimes were revealed after a doctor found that the girl had contracted a venereal disease. Cooper was convicted of four counts of lewd acts against the girl. A judge sentenced him to 60 years to life in prison. Cooper had two prior rape convictions.
It was in late January when we learned that parents in the Castro neighborhood had called the police over a nude man who had been seen touching himself inappropriately in the vicinity of teen girls. The man, later identified as 35-year-old Michael Watson, turned out to be a convicted sex offender with a 2020 conviction for indcent exposure, and a listing on the state's Megan's Law website. He was arrested in early February.
A former employee of the School of Dance and Music in Hermosa Beach has been arrested for child molestation and possession of child pornography after hidden cameras were found in restrooms.
The defendant is now accused of molesting even more young victims across multiple years and locations. Our investigators and prosecutors remain committed to uncovering the full extent of this defendant's crimes.
