A multi-agency investigation that shook the Saline County community has concluded in the courtroom.Prosecuting Attorney Chris Walton announced Wednesday that Brian Keith Cooper, Jr., of Benton, has pled guilty to one count of rape and four counts of distributing, possessing, or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving children (CSAM). Read more below.
Circuit Judge Ken Casady followed the State’s recommendation, sentencing Cooper to 30 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections, followed by a 10-year suspended imposition of sentence.
Cooper’s arrest on May 2, 2025, by Arkansas State Police (ASP) Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent Harris was the culmination of an intense investigation launched in December 2024. The probe began after law enforcement intercepted multiple cyber tips linking explicit digital activity to Cooper’s cell phone and devices associated with the Turtle Creek Fire Department, where he was then employed…