No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveU.S. Citizen Sentenced For Child Sex Abuse

U.S. Citizen Sentenced For Child Sex Abuse

A U.S. citizen was sentenced thisweek to 154 years in a Costa Rican prisonfor sexually abusing children, representativesof the Judicial Branch confirmed thisweek.Scott Thomas Cochran, 39, was sentencedTuesday by the Penal Court of SanJosé for the production and distribution ofchild pornography, paying for sex withchildren and the infraction of a drug law.The sentence was reduced to 45 yearsunder a process of penalty reduction inaccordance with the Penal Process Code.Cochran was arrested in January 2003after a joint investigation by the SpecialProsecutor on Sex Crimes, child welfareadvocacy group Casa Alianza and CostaRica’s Child Welfare Office (PANI) (TT,Jan. 24, 2003).Cochran – who was sought by theInternational Police (Interpol) for similarcharges in the United States – had beenunder investigation in Costa Rica fornearly two years before he was arrested.A Costa Rican man was also sentencedto 25 years, reduced to 18, in conjunctionwith the case against Cochran.He was accused of the same crimes,minus the drug violation, and, accordingto the Judicial Branch, was responsible forbringing the children to Cochran. His sentenceis lighter because there were fewercounts of each crime against him.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Identified as Key Maritime Route for Cocaine Trafficking

Costa Rica appears among the main maritime and aerial routes for cocaine trafficking between South and North America, according to the World Drug Report 2025 published...

Fishing, Wildlife, and History in Costa Rica’s Barra del Colorado

Costa Rica’s Barra del Colorado is a magical and charming town. It’s one of the country’s hidden gems, best known for its world-class sport...

Costa Rica Pushes USA to the Brink but Falls in Penalty Heartbreak

If you just caught the end of the USA vs. Costa Rica Gold Cup quarterfinal, you probably feel like you need another cup of...

Costa Rica and U.S. Strengthen Border Scans and Biometric Cooperation

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem met Wednesday with Honduran President Xiomara Castro to discuss security and migration, following her offer in Costa...

Life After MS-13 in El Salvador as Residents Seek a Fragile Peace

Esperanza Martinez lost three relatives who were murdered and saw numerous bodies left in the streets of her neighborhood, a former stronghold of the...

Costa Rica’s Rare Birds at Risk as Human Activity Threatens Extinction

Costa Rica’s bare-necked umbrellabird, a striking black bird with a red throat pouch and crest, is in trouble. A new study in Nature Ecology...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica