A West Virginia father allegedly sexually abused his daughter for over a decade, leading to the birth of three children.
Kenneth Ray Cook of Raleigh County allegedly began sexually assaulting his daughter in 2012, when she was 9 years old, and continued the abuse until she was 21, according to court documents viewed by PEOPLE.
Cook, 44, was first charged with sexual abuse, sexual assault and child neglect, as well as three counts of incest, in April.
Two months later, he was indicted on June 3 and now faces 149 total counts of incest — the most recent dated July 2024, per court records. He faces a total of 152 charges.
The decade of alleged abuse of his daughter led to the birth of three children, according to local NBC affiliate WVVA. Law enforcement officials said that the kids were found suffering from neglect, the outlet reported.
Kenneth Ray Cook of West Virginia is accused of fathering three children with his own daughter.
One of the children was discovered in a neglectful condition in August, according to court records. The child was 1 at the time.
The June 3 indictment was based on the testimony of a deputy with the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office.
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Cook has been behind bars since March, according to his jail records, and he is being held at Southern Regional Jail on a $500,000 bond.
The Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Cook’s listed attorney, Timothy J. LaFon, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sunday, June 15.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
By BAILEY RICHARDS/People
