The Attorney General of Virginia has expressed concerns about a registered sex offender who is allegedly targeting young girls at pools and water parks in Washington, D.C. This follows the refusal to arrest Richard Cox, a 58-year-old offender who claims to identify as a woman, allowing him access to girls’ locker rooms.
Cox is accused of exposing himself to a young girl and a woman in a girls’ locker room. Additionally, police report that they found child pornography on his devices and discovered he had been tracking girls’ swimming schedules at a REC Center in Fairfax County.
However, in Fairfax County, where the local Democratic majority governs, authorities appear reluctant to confront Cox, suggesting they won’t act unless he jeopardizes children’s safety at the three REC centers. Reports indicate that when he was eventually arrested, it was in Arlington County, where he now faces numerous sex-related charges.
Video footage acquired shows Cox, a biological male, entering women’s locker rooms at various REC Centers in Fairfax County. The same footage also captures him at a local water park designed for children with disabilities.
Cox told staff he is a transgender woman and used this identification to utilize women’s facilities as per county policies. Victims allege he exploited this situation to expose himself inappropriately.
Despite recent revelations about Cox’s activities, Fairfax County police announced they would not be pursuing charges against him. They claimed to have conducted a thorough investigation, finding no current basis for charges in their jurisdiction.
Virginia AG Jason Miyares stated that evidence suggests Cox has been actively seeking young girls, which has prompted discussions around legislative changes to hold offenders accountable in such scenarios.
“His actions indicate a calculated approach to finding children for his own gratification,” Miyares remarked, highlighting that Cox kept records of girls’ swimming classes, which facilitated his movements.
To date, local authorities have refrained from bringing charges against Cox, despite multiple incidents of exposure. Miyares pointed out how Cox used loopholes in policies to evade accountability while engaging in potentially harmful behavior.
Pat Herrity, a Republican on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, criticized the board’s transgender policy, linking it to allowing such troubling incidents. He articulated that children should not share facilities with biological males.
Cox is labeled a Tier III sex offender, which denotes the most severe classification requiring a lifetime registration. His record dates back to 1998, and he was recently arrested for voyeurism at a swimming facility shared with a local high school.
Arlington Public Schools support policies permitting individuals to use bathrooms and locker rooms aligned with their gender identity.
Concerns have been raised over a pattern of similar offenses by Cox, with a total of 29 charges related to sexual misconduct since 2024.
