A registered sex offender accused of exposing himself in Arlington, Virginia, school locker rooms appeared in court on Thursday, September 25, 2025, for a preliminary hearing. The case is scheduled to go before a grand jury this week, according to court filings and local reports.
Richard Cox allegedly entered women’s locker rooms at Arlington Public Schools facilities and county recreation centers, where witnesses testified he exposed himself to women and children. Prosecutors outlined the accusations during a lengthy preliminary hearing, which included around a dozen witnesses, according to 7News.
One mother testified she and her five-year-old daughter encountered Cox standing naked in a shower stall at Wakefield High School in Arlington. “The curtain was open, and he was touching himself,” she said, according to 7News.
Another woman testified she saw Cox naked in the Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center locker room while with her five- and six-year-old daughters. A 17-year-old lifeguard also testified she saw Cox unclothed inside a school locker room.
In court, Cox repeatedly insisted he is a woman and asked the judge to require prosecutors to use female pronouns. Reporters noted the judge declined.
An Arlington police officer testified he waited outside a locker room for about an hour after complaints in December 2024 before entering and finding Cox sitting naked on a bench.
An Arlington detective testified investigators discovered child sexual abuse material on Cox’s phone, along with schedules for children’s gymnastics and swim classes in Arlington and Fairfax counties. Prosecutors argued the evidence underscored Cox’s motive for entering the facilities.
Arlington Public Schools and county policy allow individuals to use restrooms and locker rooms based on gender identity. Officials confirmed Cox accessed the facilities under those rules, a policy recently reaffirmed amid federal scrutiny.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, two Stone Bridge High School students in Loudoun County were suspended for 10 days after questioning a “transgender” peer’s presence in the boys’ locker room. Federal investigators later found the district violated Title IX in its handling of the case.
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis previously defended his department’s decision not to charge Cox when he visited three Fairfax County recreation centers in 2024, according to 7News. Davis said county policy permitted access based on gender identity, though Cox has since been barred from those sites.
Cox, a Tier III sex offender, must remain on the registry for life. The Arlington prosecutor told the court the evidence “speaks clearly” to his intent. The grand jury is expected to review the case this week.