A Laramie man has been sentenced to 14 to 20 years imprisonment for sexual abuse of a minor.

Lance Cook, 57, was sentenced Monday, July 14 after he previously pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree. The case was originally set to go to trial in July after Cook pleaded not guilty to the crime in early January, but he changed his plea in February.

Cook was sentenced for sexually assaulting a minor girl who was between nine and eleven years old during the span of time when several incidents occurred. According to a court affidavit, Cook had worked for the radio station 96.7 KIMX located at 302 S. Second Street in Laramie, and the abuse happened mostly at that location while the girl’s mother was working.

According to court documents, the girl said that she would go to the radio station after school because her mother also worked there. She said in her statement to police, as detailed in the court affidavit, that Cook would invite her to come into his radio booth alone where he would ask her to sit on his lap. While she played with the computer, the girl said he would put his hands in her pants and touch her inappropriately. The girl said this happened nearly every time that she went to the radio station after school over a period of three years between 2009 and 2011.

She also said Cook would make sexual remarks to her and force her to kiss him. She recalled Cook often buying her and her brother things like candy and toys. According to the documents, her brother said in his statement that he remembered Cook buying them things and recalled that Cook would usually buy more for the girl.

Last December Police officers interviewed Cook, and he admitted to being sexually attracted to the girl. Initially Cook denied touching her in an inappropriate manner, but later admitted to putting his hands down her pants and touching her buttocks for his own sexual gratification.

Cook will be transported to Rawlins, where he will be evaluated and the decision will be made as to where he will serve his sentence.

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