Arlington case involving sex offender in girls’ locker rooms underscores debate over transgender access to facilities

A 58-year-old registered sex offender in Arlington, Virginia, is facing 29 charges tied to alleged incidents in girls’ locker rooms at public schools and community centers. Richard Cox appeared in an Arlington County court on Thursday and repeatedly insisted that he is now a woman, but the judge declined to halt prosecutors' handling of the case on misgendering concerns, noting that numerous witnesses described him as a male when he was seen naked and touching himself in locker-room stalls.

Cox is a Tier III sex offender—the most serious designation in Virginia’s system—which requires lifetime registration. He was first placed on the registry in 1998. Court records show the case in Arlington centers on accusations dating back to 2024, with recent incidents at facilities that host both school and community activities. Witnesses described Cox in the girls’ locker rooms at a swimming facility shared with Washington-Liberty High School and at a Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center used for gymnastics classes and other programs. A mother testified that after a swim class, she and her five-year-old daughter went to the girls’ locker room and saw Cox touching himself while nude in a shower stall with the curtain opening. A 17-year-old lifeguard who worked at one of the Arlington pools testified that she, along with other women, observed Cox naked in a school locker room.

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Authorities say Cox also carried with him material consistent with child exploitation. A detective testified that Cox’s phone contained child pornography and included a schedule for children’s gymnastic classes at Barcroft Gym. The same detective found children’s swimming lesson schedules for recreation centers in Fairfax County, where Cox had been seen near children in recent months. Prosecutors describe Cox as having a lengthy rap sheet of sex crimes dating back to 1992.

The Arlington case unfolds against a policy backdrop in which Arlington Public Schools allow people to use locker rooms and bathrooms based on their chosen gender identity. That policy has drawn scrutiny in various jurisdictions and remains a focal point in debates about safety, privacy, and inclusivity in schools and community facilities. Local officials and parents have called for careful consideration of how policies balance protective measures with inclusive access for transgender students and community members.

The case proceeded through the court system with Cox’s next step listed as moving to a grand jury next week, a common step in Virginia criminal proceedings for felonies and certain other offenses. Prosecutors intend to press forward with the charges, while Cox remains subject to lifetime reporting requirements as a Tier III offender. Court records show his active status on the sex-offender registry and a history of related legal actions dating back to 1992, highlighting a long-running arc of sex-crime issues that has drawn local attention from residents and policymakers alike.

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The proceedings shed light on how local policy decisions intersect with criminal investigations in cases involving sexual offenses and questions about access to gender-segregated spaces. While prosecutors emphasize the importance of pursuing charges and protecting potential victims, community members and advocates continue to debate how locker-room policies should be implemented and reviewed in light of safety concerns and evolving standards regarding gender identity.