A Coos Bay, Oregon man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for the sexual exploitation of a minor. Willard Verdell Cowan, aged 61, received a sentence of 300 months in federal prison and will be subject to a lifetime term of supervised release.
Court documents reveal that Cowan began his offenses in early 2021 by offering support to a minor who frequently experienced panic attacks. Instead, he exploited the victim's vulnerability by providing alcohol and marijuana before sexually assaulting them. The abuse continued until Cowan's arrest in March 2023, during which he recorded some instances and solicited explicit images from the victim.
On February 16, 2023, a federal grand jury in Eugene indicted Cowan on charges of sexually exploiting a child and distributing child pornography. He pleaded guilty to the charge of sexually exploiting a child on August 21, 2024.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Coos County Sheriff's Office. Jeffrey S. Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, prosecuted the case with assistance from the Coos County District Attorney’s Office.
Authorities urge anyone with information about child exploitation to contact the FBI at their hotline or through an online tip submission platform.
The FBI Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) focuses on investigating cases of sexual exploitation with coordination across various law enforcement agencies. CETF aims to apprehend those targeting children while aiding victims of sex trafficking and exploitation.
Federal law classifies child pornography as any visual depiction involving minors engaged in explicit conduct. Such material is considered documentation of actual crimes against children that further traumatize victims when circulated online.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, initiated by the Justice Department in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide.