Jeffrey Cooper, a sound mixing studio architect and member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has been sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted this past May on three counts of child molestation, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office said Monday. He must also register to be a sex offenders.
Cooper was arrested in 2018. He was accused of two lewd acts committed with two underage women on separate occasions between 2005 and 2007. The first occurred between 2007 and 2012. The abuse occurred in the mid 2000s and Cooper was convicted on three of the five counts.
28-year-old Cooper, the accuser, recalled during the trial that he had been friends with her and shared her love for theater and music before molestation in his basement recording studio when she was 13 or 12.
“Over a decade later, this still haunts me,”She testified. “I should feel empowered but I feel gross. I really try not to think about it. It really knocks me off my feet.”
Cooper designed theaters and postproduction spaces for many studios and organizations in Hollywood. This included a 600-seat theater that the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences hosts, along with Lucasfilm and Warner Bros. “has been made aware of the alleged abhorrent behavior and will address this matter according to our Standards of Conduct and the due process requirements under California nonprofit corporation law.”
According to sources, Cooper is likely to be expelled by the Academy board at its August meeting to decide on disciplinary action. In the past, members have been expelled by the Academy for sexual abuse allegations. This includes Harvey Weinstein, a disgraced producer in 2017, and Roman Polanski (2018).
“Children are the most vulnerable members of our community. Mr. Cooper abused his position of trust and caused incredible harm to helpless victims,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement “I know that nothing can undo the trauma that they have endured, but I hope the victims find peace and healing now that this criminal process is complete.”