Rosemont man testifies at his sexual assault trial

For two days, Christopher Cooper has been sitting at the defense table in a Rolling Meadows courtroom, staring straight ahead as Cook County prosecutors presented their case against him.

Late Wednesday, the Rosemont man took the witness stand to answer charges that he sexually molested a now 20-year-old woman for seven or eight years beginning when she was about 6 years old.

Cooper, 29, denied assaulting the complaining witness, who testified earlier that the molestation progressed to sexual intercourse which resulted in her becoming pregnant by Cooper in 2004 when she was 13 years old. The woman, who was under the care of Cooper’s mother at the time of the alleged molestation, testified that she subsequently terminated the pregnancy.

Rosemont police charged Cooper with predatory criminal sexual assault in 2008 after the woman came forward with her claims. He is currently being held without bond in Cook County jail. His mother, Patricia Cooper, 69, has been charged with harassing a witness. Both have pleaded not guilty. Authorities say they will try Patricia Cooper at a later date.

Asked by defense attorney Gustavo Santana why he admitted the charges to Rosemont police detectives in an audiotape statement, Cooper testified that Rosemont Detective Ronald Muich told him he would not get bond and would be sent to Cook County Jail where a man of his slight stature would be sexually assaulted by other inmates.

The officers pressured him to “man up” about what they say he did to the complaining witness and coached him on what to say, Cooper testified. The officers also assured him he was going to “get help” which Cooper said he assumed meant he would be allowed to go home. He further testified that before officers turned on the tape recorder, they told him their questions and supplied him with the answers.

“Muich said ‘tell us what we want to hear and we can get you the help you need,’” Cooper testified, adding “I was telling them anything they wanted to hear.”

On cross examination, Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Sanju Oommen questioned Cooper’s credibility.

“You want the jury to believe that you thought if you admitted having sex with (the complaining witness) when she was 12 years old that you would be sent home?” she asked.

“Yes,” Cooper responded.

Closing argument are expected today in Rolling Meadows.