Cousins charged with sex crime in Urbana

URBANA – Two Champaign men who are cousins have been charged with raping a teen at a party in Urbana last summer.

Kevin B. Cooper, 20, who listed an address in the 700 block of Ashton Lane North, and Kantrall D. Cooper, 20, who listed an address in the 400 block of East Columbia Avenue, were each charged Tuesday with a single count of criminal sexual assault alleging that on June 27, they forced a 16-year-old girl to have sex while at a party in the 1100 block of South Austin in Urbana.

Urbana police investigator Duane Maxey said the girl promptly reported the sexual assault and police searched the home where the party was that same day. The delay in the case came from getting biological samples from the cousins and having the state crime lab process them, Maxey said.

Warrants were issued for their arrests on Tuesday. Kevin Cooper called Urbana police for assistance on Wednesday, Maxey said, and was arrested.

Kevin Cooper pleaded innocent on Thursday. Judge John Kennedy set his bond at $100,000, ordered him not to leave the state and set his next court appearance for May 10.

Kantrall Cooper turned himself in to police Thursday after learning of the warrant for his arrest. He was expected to appear in court Friday.

If convicted of the Class 1 felony, the men face a mandatory prison term of between four and 15 years.

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