Film Academy Plays Waiting Game as Member Goes on Trial for Child Molestation Charges
thewrap.comCooper, 70, was arrested in June 2018 by Los Angeles County Special Victims Unit detectives after an investigation into allegations that he had committed lewd acts with two underage girls, with the first allegation dating from 2006 and 2007 and the second between 2012 and 2016.
Cooper has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his trial is being conducted at the Los Angeles Superior Court in Van Nuys.
TheWrap has reached out to the Academy for comment, though a statement sent to The Los Angeles Times said that the Academy “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.”“We would have grounds, under our rules, to expel any member convicted of a violent crime,” the statement continued.
Cooper has been an Academy member since 2002. According to his architectural firm’s websiv, Cooper led the design of a 600-seat theater for the headquarters of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which organizes the Emmys.
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