A Virginia registered sex offender made headlines late last year when he allegedly exposed himself to girls at a swimming pool run by Arlington Public Schools (APS).

Yet in a move which left many Americans raging mad, Arlington's liberal district attorney initially refused to prosecute the man on the grounds that he is transgender. 

Sex offender has since been hit with 22 new criminal charges

According to the Daily Caller, 58-year-old Richard Cox was arrested in the Arlington Aquatic Center women’s locker room this past December.

Look at this news article from The Daily Caller: Left Wing DA Declined To Charge Sex Offender Who Exposed Himself To Children In Women’s Locker Room. https://t.co/kpSEfBWbsH

— Gwendolyn Chapman (@paulgwen) March 1, 2025

The website pointed out how Cox is a registered sex offender, with a criminal history dating back more than three decades.

Despite this, Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano at first chose not to pursue charges against Cox for his alleged actions at the pool or a similar alleged incident at a Planet Fitness location.

That led to public outcry, and Cox has since been brought up on 22 charges in total, including multiple counts of indecent exposure and taking indecent liberties with children.

APS doubled down on pro-transgender change room policy

The Daily Caller noted in January how APS Superintendent Francisco Durán reacted to the controversy by once again affirming the school district's pro-transgender policies.

Durán declared that APS is dedicated to building an "inclusive community," particularly for  "those who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community."

He further asserted that "facilities are designed to be safe, welcoming spaces where our community can come to connect, engage and focus on their health and well-being."

An APS spokesperson provided a similar message to ABC 7News, saying, "APS permits pool patrons to access restrooms and facilities that correspond to their gender identity."

Sex offenders no long allowed at pool

"We take every report of concerning or unsafe behavior very seriously and do not tolerate behaviors from any individual who is threatening or making others feel unsafe," the spokesperson stated.

"APS responded to all patron concerns related to this matter in a timely manner and took appropriate and immediate action to investigate, notify law enforcement, and prevent the individual from returning to our pool facilities," the spokesperson went on to pledge.

Nevertheless, the Daily Caller noted that APS has since adopted a policy of banning registered sex offenders from its facilities.