Former educator accused of sexual assault appears in court

A former North Platte high school teacher accused of sexual assault made an appearance in court Monday afternoon.

Monday, July 10th 2023, 9:54 PM MDT

By KNOP TV

David Cooper

Courtesy: Lincoln County Jail

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) - A former North Platte high school teacher accused of sexual assault made an appearance in court Monday afternoon.

David Cooper was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old student starting from November 2022 until his arrest in February 2023.

The affidavit shows nearly 50,000 text messages exchanged between Cooper and the student including several that were sexual in nature.

A judge reduced Cooper’s original bond of $250,000 to 10% of $125,000. He will face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.

Due to the severity of the crime, a judge ordered Cooper to have no contact with the student or anyone under the age of 18, including his children.

The court set Nov. 6, 2023 at 10 a.m. for Cooper’s next appearance.