A couple that once lived in Arizona, Matthew and Dolores Cole, has been sentenced for their roles in a scheme to sexually abuse five children and keep that scheme hidden from authorities.
Matthew Cole, age 31, was sentenced to over 41 years in prison and Dolores, age 41, was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. All of the children were rescued as a result of the investigation.
Beginning in 2014, the Coles were living in Arizona and had custody, care, or supervisory control of six children. A child protection agency received a report that one or both Coles were sexually abusing the children. Over the next few years, multiple allegations of abuse were made. To avoid having the children permanently removed from their care and to prevent police or child protection agencies from discovering the sexual abuse, the Coles moved the children to residences in different states. The Coles moved through Arizona, Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma, and ultimately to Indiana, where their scheme ended when search warrants were executed at their residence in August of 2018.
The investigation by authorities in Indiana uncovered evidence that five of the six children had been sexually abused. And investigators found evidence that Matthew Cole produced and distributed sexually explicit images of one of the children. Investigators also learned that both Coles threatened the children, telling them that they should not tell law enforcement officers what was happening to them, which led to prolonged abuse of the children.
Mathew Cole pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport minors across state lines with the intent to engage in a criminal sexual activity, sexual exploitation of a child, and witness tampering. Dolores Cole pled guilty to being an accessory after the fact to sexual exploitation of a child, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice.