North Dakota sex offender faces charge for not registering in Montana
Wesley T. Cooper appeared March 3, 2025, in Lincoln County District Court. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)
A Eureka man is accused of failing to register as a sex offender.
Wesley Thomas Cooper, 33, jailed recently after he allegedly failed to register, was released Feb. 24 after posting $25,000 bail.
Cooper's arraignment on the charge is scheduled for March 3.
According to the charging documents, Lincoln County deputies were alerted in October of 2024 that the 33-year-old Cooper was coaching flag football in the Eureka area after previously being convicted of sexually assaulting a four-year-old child.
Authorities checked Cooper’s criminal history and found he was charged in 2017 for gross sexual imposition in North Dakota. They then checked to see if he was required to register as a sex offender. A state investigator and assistant attorney general determined that Cooper was indeed required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, authorities contacted Cooper, and it was determined that he had to register as a sex offender. The man said that when he moved to Montana in 2019, “someone” reviewed his paperwork and decided he didn’t have to register. He said he had paperwork showing this and was asked to provide a copy.
Cooper said he intended to move back to North Dakota and have his attorney fight this requirement. Authorities checked case reports on any reviews or cases related to his status as a sex offender and could not find any.
On Oct. 28, 2024, an arrest warrant was issued for Cooper in Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, North Dakota and South Dakota. Cooper was delivered to Lincoln County jail on Feb. 14.
According to the Willston Herald in North Dakota, Cooper was held on a $500,000 bond in 2017. The newspaper reported that Cooper had left the area when he became aware an investigation was underway about the sexual assault. His attorney said he moved for work.
He was arrested in Eureka in 2017 and was extradited. According to the newspaper, the victim said the abuse happened numerous times when their mother wasn’t home, and Cooper took precautions to hide what was happening from another sibling.