David Cook Sentenced To Prison For Child Molestation

Press release from the Sonoma County Government:

July 29, 2021

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Defendant David Christopher Cook, 55 years old of Sonoma, was sentenced today by the Honorable Robert LaForge to serve 6 years in state prison after pleading “no contest” in April of this year to a felony charge of committing “lewd and lascivious” acts with a child under the age of 14 years old.

The charge resulted from an investigation conducted in 2020 by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department which was prompted by an 11-year-old child disclosing to a trusted adult that Cook had recently molested her.

At the sentencing hearing, the young victim spoke to the court, detailing the negative effects Cook’s actions had brought to her life. The victim’s father and stepmother also addressed the court to describe the impact the abuse had caused to the victim, and to request the court impose a prison sentence rather than a suspended prison sentence or probation.

The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office also argued for the court to impose a prison sentence.

After the court noted that, “[Cook] never said he was sorry. Not once,” the court imposed the 6-year term.

Due to recent sentencing revisions enacted by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation which allow inmates serving sentences for “violent felonies” to earn additional credits, it is anticipated Cook will be released on parole after serving 4 years of his sentence. In addition, he will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Andrew Lukas. Dan Avina of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department headed the investigation.

This press release was produced by the Sonoma County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.