Richard Kenneth Cox, a registered sex offender, faces charges in Arlington for indecent exposures in women’s locker rooms.
Cox, who identifies as a transgender woman, was arrested in December 2024 at the Barcroft Sports & Fitness Center for trespassing and providing false identification. After the arrest, Cox received additional charges for indecent exposure, indecent liberties with children, and loitering near schools as a sex offender.
The indecent exposures took place in locker rooms at Barcroft, Washington-Liberty High School, and Wakefield High School, Fox5 DC reported. According to ABC7 News, Cox now faces 22 charges and will appear in court on March 3.
Following these incidents, Arlington Public Schools released a statement detailing new pool entry procedures. There will now be a “standard 100 percent ID check against the sex offender database” before pool entry. APS policy permits patrons to use restrooms and facilities that align with their gender identity.
Cox is a Tier 3 sex offender, the most extreme tier. The record shows multiple convictions of indecent liberties with children and possession of obscene material with a minor, dating back to 1992.
ABC7 News also obtained body cam footage of a police interaction with Cox after reportedly visiting county rec centers.
“My civil rights as a transgender person allows me to use a public facility including the restrooms or changing rooms that identify with my gender, and you can see on my ID that I’m recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia as female. So exercising my civil rights is not a criminal offense,” Cox said in the video. Cox was banned from all Fairfax County facilities.
Cox also faced charges for indecent exposure in a women’s locker room in a Fairfax County Planet Fitness in June. The charges were dropped. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares published a letter to Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, to “urge swift and deliberate action.”
“Your failure to examine these criminal allegations against Cox undermines public safety, the well-being of our citizens, and derogates your oath to faithfully enforce the laws of the Commonwealth,” Miyares wrote. Miyares asked Descano to allow the attorney general’s office to investigate and prosecute the matter.
Feature image courtesy Arlington Police Department
