U.S. Attorney Natalie K. Wight | U.S. Department of Justice
A man from Coos Bay, Oregon, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a minor. Willard Verdell Cowan, aged 61, received a sentence of 300 months followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
Court documents reveal that Cowan began interacting with the victim in early 2021. He offered support to the minor, who experienced panic attacks but instead exploited the victim's vulnerability. He provided alcohol and marijuana before sexually assaulting the minor. Cowan continued this abuse, recording it and soliciting explicit images until his arrest in March 2023.
On February 16, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Cowan on charges of sexually exploiting a child and distributing child pornography. He pleaded guilty to these charges on August 21, 2024.
The FBI and Coos County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Jeffrey S. Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, prosecuted it in coordination with the Coos County District Attorney’s Office.
The public is urged to report any information about child exploitation to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or through their online tip portal.
The FBI Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) conducts investigations into sexual exploitation with other law enforcement agencies. CETF aims to locate offenders and assist victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation.
Child pornography is legally defined as visual depictions involving minors in sexually explicit conduct. These materials represent actual crimes against children and cause ongoing harm when distributed online.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Justice Department since May 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide.
For more details on Project Safe Childhood or related issues, visit www.justice.gov/psc or www.missingkids.org.
