This case is a stark reminder of the consequences of prioritizing ideological agendas over public safety. Despite a long and well-documented history as a registered sex offender, Richard Kenneth Cox was allowed to repeatedly violate the law, thanks in part to prosecutorial negligence and radical policies that prioritize gender ideology over the protection of women and children.
A Dangerous Pattern of Indecency Ignored
🔹 Cox, a Tier III sex offender—the most serious category—has a decades-long criminal record dating back to 1988.
🔹 He was convicted of exposing himself to children in 1992.
🔹 He served five stints in prison before being released in 2018.
🔹 In June 2024, Cox allegedly exposed himself inside a women’s locker room at a Planet Fitness in Falls Church, Virginia.
🔹 Fairfax County’s radical prosecutor Steve Descano refused to prosecute the case, claiming misdemeanor cases involving unrepresented defendants were not his responsibility.
Had Cox been properly prosecuted in 2024, he would not have been able to allegedly expose himself again at two schools and three recreational centers—this time to a 9-year-old girl among other victims.
Why Did Fairfax Prosecutors Fail to Act?
Despite clear evidence of criminal behavior, Fairfax County prosecutors, led by radical DA Steve Descano, declined to press charges for indecent exposure in the Planet Fitness case.
🚨 Key Questions Prosecutors Refuse to Answer:
✅ Why was Cox not prosecuted despite a clear complaint from a victim?
✅ Why was a registered sex offender allowed into women’s restrooms in the first place?
✅ Why did Fairfax County prosecute Cox for failure to register as a sex offender but not for indecent exposure?
Local residents rightly demanded answers:
“I would like to see our prosecutors do their job, which is prosecute crimes. That’s it. Do your job.” – Lyndsey, a former Planet Fitness member
Even seasoned attorneys were baffled:
“In my 29 years of practice, I haven’t come across a case where a prosecutor in any jurisdiction refuses to prosecute an indecent exposure case because the accused is unrepresented by counsel.” – Fairfax attorney Ed Nuttall
A Radical Agenda Prioritizing Ideology Over Safety
Fairfax County’s soft-on-crime approach to gender identity-based legal exemptions has turned a public safety issue into a political one.
🚨 The result? A known predator was free to target more victims.
This wasn’t just a legal failure—it was a policy failure. The transgender bathroom policies at Planet Fitness allowed a convicted sex offender to enter the women’s locker room unquestioned. The radical prosecution in Fairfax County then failed to take action.
Cox’s Absurd Defense: “It’s Just Like Ancient Rome”
Adding insult to injury, Cox defended himself in court by citing ancient Roman and Greek nudity customs—as if public indecency laws shouldn’t apply to him.
🚨 Cox’s July 15, 2024, motion to dismiss included this absurd claim:
🔹 “Gymnasiums have been places of social nudity dating back as far as the ancient Romans and Greeks.”
🔹 “It was not uncommon for a male to be naked around women or a female to be naked around men.”
💬 Translation: Cox believes that he has a right to expose himself—and that any objections are outdated.
Planet Fitness: A “Judgment-Free” Zone… for Sex Offenders?
While Planet Fitness promotes itself as a “judgment-free zone”, its bathroom policy allowed a convicted sex offender to use the women’s facilities without restriction.
📌 Planet Fitness’s bathroom policy states:
✅ “All members, including transgender members, may use locker room facilities, bathrooms, showers, and all other facilities/programs separated by sex based on their self-reported gender identity.”
This policy directly enabled Cox’s actions. Women and girls who felt unsafe were the ones forced to leave the gym or cancel their memberships, rather than removing the known predator.
A Predictable Disaster That Could Have Been Prevented
Had Cox been prosecuted and convicted in 2024, he would not have had the chance to allegedly expose himself at two schools and three rec centers.
Instead, progressive policies failed to protect the public, and a repeat offender was allowed to victimize more innocent people.
🔴 Prosecutors failed to act.
🔴 Radical gender policies enabled him.
🔴 Women and children suffered the consequences.
Enough Is Enough: Protect Women and Children First
🚨 The failure of prosecutors and gender ideology-driven policies have put women and children in danger.
🔹 Bathroom policies need to be based on biological reality, not self-identification.
🔹 Sex offenders should never be granted access to women’s facilities.
🔹 Prosecutors must prioritize public safety over ideological activism.
This case should serve as a wake-up call to every community in America.
If Richard Kenneth Cox’s name does not become a rallying cry against this insanity, then how many more women and children will be sacrificed on the altar of political correctness?