A Vaiden man is facing charges for molesting a young girl.
Justin Cooper, 30, of Vaiden has been arrested and charged with molesting a child for lustful purposes in connection with incidents that occurred in Winona between December 15 and 18.
According to Captain Dan Herod, chief investigator for the Winona Police Department, he received a report that four-year-old girl may have been the victim of a sexual assault, and through his investigation of the allegations, Cooper became a suspect.
“Two incidents occurred at a house on Montgomery Street in Winona,” Herod said. “[Cooper] became a suspect as a result of our investigation, and that led to us filing criminal charges against him.”
Herod said Cooper could not be located for arrest, so his information was entered into ICIC as a wanted person.
Herod said Cooper was arrested by the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Department in Texas, southeast of Austin, on March 6.
“He waived his extradition hearing on March 7,” Herod said. “Chief of Police Tommy Bibbs and I went to get him last Tuesday.
In Tuesday session of Winona City Court, Cooper waived his right to a preliminary hearing. Winona Judge Alan D. Lancaster set bond at $750,000.
