Sex Offender Exposes Himself In Virginia Girls' Locker Rooms, Claims He's A Woman

A registered sex offender who claims to be a woman is facing charges in Arlington, Virginia after witnesses say he exposed himself in girls’ locker rooms at multiple public schools.

According to 7News reporter Nick Minock, "Right now, registered sex offender Richard Cox is in an Arlington court hearing where women are testifying that they saw Cox naked in Arlington high school girls locker rooms." 

Minock added: "Cox says he’s a woman and asked the judge to tell the prosecutor to stop misgendering him. The judge said no."

One woman testified that when she entered the girls’ locker room at Washington-Liberty High School after swim class with her young daughter, she saw Cox "masturbating in a shower stall with the curtain open." She said her daughter was present when Cox was "touching his erect penis."

Arlington Public Schools manages pools inside Washington-Liberty, Wakefield and Yorktown high schools, all of which are open to the public outside of school hours. 

APS and the Arlington County Board explicitly allow people to use restrooms and locker rooms based on gender identity — which is how Cox entered the girls' locker room in the first place.

Cox has a long criminal history, including convictions for indecent liberties with children and possession of obscene materials involving minors. 

He now faces:

• 12 counts of Sex Offender being in Proximity to Children for loitering within 100 feet of school property/gymnasium
• Three counts of a Sex Offender Entering School/Child Day Center Property
• Four counts of Indecent Exposure
• Two counts of Taking Indecent Liberties with Children
• One count of Identity Theft

(Getty Images)

One Arlington mother told 7News she walked into the Washington-Liberty locker room with her 9-year-old daughter and found Cox naked. 

"There had to have been at least a dozen other small girls and moms scattered about the room." She said her daughter "just couldn't stop seeing it," and added, "She’s never seen that before, and definitely not in a place that she felt was safe for her to change in."

Arlington School Board Member Mary Kadera was told about Cox in September 2024. Her "solution" was not to call police, but to add signage telling people to "cover private parts in locker rooms, and to observe locker room etiquette." 

When asked about that decision in February, she didn’t respond.

Fairfax County officials also ignored red flags. Police video obtained by 7News shows Cox walking out of a children’s water park and into a playground, even though, as a Tier III sex offender, he is banned from being within 100 feet of a child day program. 

Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano repeatedly declined to prosecute Cox for indecent exposure, despite police evidence and witness reports. Board Chair Jeff McKay refused to answer questions and literally ducked into a men’s bathroom to avoid 7News’ cameras.

Cox’s preliminary hearing in Arlington is set for later this month.

OutKick reached out to Arlington Public Schools but did not immediately receive a response.