West Virginia Father Faces 152 Charges for Decade-Long Incest, Neglect

Kenneth Ray Cook, a 44-year-old man from West Virginia, faces 152 charges, including 149 counts of incest, after allegedly sexually assaulting his daughter from age 9 to 21, resulting in the birth of three children. The children were reportedly found suffering from neglect, with one child confirmed to be in a neglectful condition at one year old. Cook was first charged in April and subsequently indicted in June, with the most recent charges dated July 2024. He has been held in Southern Regional Jail since March on a $500,000 bond and is scheduled for formal arraignment on June 24. This case highlights the critical issue of child abuse and neglect, with national statistics showing hundreds of thousands of children are victims annually in the U.S. Authorities emphasize the importance of vigilance and reporting to protect vulnerable children. Additionally, in New Jersey, Jorge Deleon Diaz was sentenced to 50 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 2-year-old girl, demonstrating ongoing efforts to prosecute child sexual abuse across states.