Randi L. Cook — The TikTok Connection That Crossed State Lines
A notification that turned into a federal case
The story, as it has been laid out in federal court records, begins the way so many modern true-crime cases do: not with a knock on a door, but with a notification on a phone. A conversation. A message. A growing sense of closeness that can feel private, electric, and safe—until it isn’t.
Randi L. Cook, a 24-year-old from Tahlequah, Oklahoma, is accused of building contact with a teenage girl in Northeast Wisconsin after meeting her on TikTok. Investigators allege Cook knew the girl was 16, yet continued pursuing a relationship anyway—one the teen reportedly hesitated to enter because of the age gap. In the beginning, it may have looked like digital attention and flirtation. But authorities allege it escalated quickly into something more coercive: sexual messages, sexually explicit content, and travel across state lines.
According to the criminal complaint, investigators believe the communication occurred during a defined window in late 2025. They allege Cook convinced the minor to send sexually explicit images over the internet and that this wasn’t a single moment of poor judgment—it was a pattern that continued long enough to turn into in-person contact.
Then, the case moved from screens to real places.
Authorities allege Cook traveled from Oklahoma to Wisconsin on more than one occasion. One trip reportedly included a hotel, where investigators allege sexual contact occurred. Another trip, they say, included the Fox Valley area in December—where Cook is accused of attending a Neenah High School band performance before going with the teen to a short-term rental property, where additional sexual contact allegedly took place.
The alleged details paint a picture of a relationship the teen says felt manipulative: that when she tried to end contact, Cook pressured her to come back and continue. That push-and-pull dynamic—attempts to break away, followed by emotional pressure to return—is often the part outsiders don’t see. It isn’t always loud. It can be persistent, intimate, and deeply confusing for the person being targeted.
And when law enforcement stepped in, this moved into the federal system—because crossing state lines and the specific allegations involved can trigger federal criminal statutes.
A teenager caught in an adult world
The victim in this case is a 16-year-old girl from Northeast Wisconsin. Because she is a minor, her identity is not publicly listed in official statements, and Unsealed Evidence will not publish identifying details that could lead to her being recognized.
But the lack of a name does not make this story any less real.
A teenager’s world is already small in some ways—school schedules, family routines, friend groups, extracurriculars, the same streets and the same stores. When an adult enters that world from the outside, especially through social media, it can create a dangerous imbalance. The adult often controls the pace. The adult can rewrite what “normal” looks like. The adult can make secrecy feel like romance.
According to the allegations documented in court records, the teen initially hesitated because the age gap felt wrong to her. That detail matters. It suggests she recognized the imbalance, and yet still became entangled.
Investigators allege the relationship didn’t stay online. They allege it became physical in Wisconsin, and they allege the teen later described feeling manipulated—pulled back in whenever she tried to end contact. That kind of emotional tug is often where harm multiplies: it can trap a victim in cycles of guilt, fear, confusion, and self-blame, even when the wrongdoing lies with the adult.
This case also carries a secondary kind of weight: the reality that the teen will likely have to live with this story in her community—school, peers, local rumors, the way people talk. Even without her name, cases like this can ripple through an entire area, leaving people searching their own memories for “who” and “when,” while the victim just wants life to feel normal again.
From messages to meetings
Court records describe a timeline that centers on late 2025, beginning with online communication and escalating to alleged explicit exchanges and in-person meetings. Investigators allege Cook communicated with the minor between early November and mid-December. During that period, they allege Cook persuaded the minor to provide sexually explicit images via the internet.
From there, investigators allege Cook traveled into Wisconsin more than once. One alleged encounter took place at a hotel. Another alleged encounter took place at a short-term rental property after Cook returned to the area in December. The detail about attending a high school band performance at Neenah High School is especially chilling in its normalcy—because it places the accused adult inside a space meant for teenagers, families, and community events, not secret relationships with minors.
The allegations also describe a relationship dynamic in which the teen felt emotionally pressured when attempting to end contact. That matters because these cases aren’t always only about a single event. They can be about a pattern of influence: grooming behaviors, emotional control, and escalating demands that gradually narrow a victim’s ability to say no.
When an adult is accused of traveling across state lines to engage in sexual activity with a minor, or using the internet to entice or coerce a minor into unlawful sexual activity, the case can fall under federal jurisdiction. And when the allegations include the production or exchange of explicit images involving a minor, federal statutes can carry severe sentencing exposure.
This is why, even at the earliest stage—at the criminal complaint stage—the listed charges in this case are among the most serious categories of federal offenses involving minors.
At this stage, however, it’s critical to keep the legal line clear: a criminal complaint is a charge, not proof. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
What has been confirmed on the record
According to an official statement from federal prosecutors, Randi L. Cook was charged by criminal complaint on December 23, 2025.
The charges listed in that announcement are: interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor; production of child pornography; and coercion or enticement of a minor for unlawful sexual activity.
The same official statement notes the investigation was handled by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and that the case is being prosecuted federally.
Public court scheduling information indicates Cook made an initial appearance in federal court in Green Bay and was ordered to remain in custody, with a return date set for January 13, 2026, for a preliminary hearing.
Officials have also outlined potential penalties if convicted. The listed charges carry severe sentencing ranges, including mandatory minimum penalties on some counts, and the possibility of long-term imprisonment. A conviction on any of these charges would also require sex offender registration.
Unanswered questions that still hang in the air
- What was the exact nature of the TikTok contact, including who initiated the first conversation and how quickly it escalated?
- What evidence do investigators say exists regarding messages, images, and videos, and how was it obtained and preserved?
- How many trips into Wisconsin are alleged, and what are the confirmed dates and locations tied to those trips?
- What hotel and what short-term rental property are referenced in the allegations, and are there additional witnesses or surveillance sources connected to those locations?
- Did any adults in the teen’s life notice warning signs before law enforcement became involved, and how did the report to authorities begin?
- Are there allegations of additional victims or additional online contacts, or is this currently described as a single-victim case?
- What will be revealed at the preliminary hearing about probable cause, digital evidence, and the investigative timeline?
Key individuals and relationships
Randi L. Cook - Accused - A 24-year-old woman from Tahlequah, Oklahoma, federally charged by criminal complaint; accused of meeting a 16-year-old on TikTok, exchanging explicit content, and traveling to Wisconsin for alleged sexual contact.
Name Withheld (Minor) - Alleged victim - A 16-year-old girl from Northeast Wisconsin; described in court records as being contacted online and later allegedly exploited during in-person meetings.
Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office - Investigating agency - The agency publicly identified as leading the investigation referenced in the federal announcement.
United States Attorney (Eastern District of Wisconsin) - Federal authority - The office that publicly announced the criminal complaint and summarized the alleged conduct and potential penalties.
Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble - Prosecutor - The federal prosecutor publicly identified as handling the case.