The FBI is ramping up efforts to locate a fugitive out of Sarasota County who has been on the run for nearly 10 years to avoid prosecution for child pornography after the remains of another fugitive were recently found and positively identified near Atlanta.
William Lee Copp, 73, is wanted by the FBI on child pornography offenses which occurred from the late 1990s through 2004 in Englewood, which is approximately 38 miles south of Sarasota on Florida's west coast.
Copp is accused of downloading child pornography and saving it to his computer and to discs.
He was charged in a 126-count criminal complaint, but failed to appear for court proceedings on three occasions in February of 2006.
A federal arrest warrant was issued and Copp was charged federally with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
Copp, a former junior Olympics gymnastics coach and a member of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame, has reportedly traveled extensively throughout the world and is believed to have lived in Spain recently. In addition to gymnastics, Copp has worked as a videographer and has been involved in video production.
He's also known to stay in hostels throughout Spain, and is believed to have most recently resided in the area of Nerja in Malaga, on Spain's southern coast.
Local
Copp has lived in Cleveland, Ohio, as well as both Sarasota and Venice in Florida. He is 5-feet 11-inches and weighs 200 pounds. His hair is brown and gray, and his eyes are brown.
The push to locate Copp and other fugitives wanted on child pornography charges comes just as the skeletal remains of David Lee Sheffield, a South Carolina man wanted since 2011, were found and positively identified by police in Georgia, as reported by NBC affiliate WXIA in Atlanta.
Anyone with information on Copp's whereabouts is asked to contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.
