Booking photo for Alexander Perkins (Courtesy: Cache County Jail)
LOGAN — A 39-year-old Logan man is headed for prison for sexually abusing a teenage girl almost two years ago. Alexander C. Perkins was taken into custody again after telling the court he was remorseful.
Perkins was sentenced in 1st District Court Monday morning. He previously accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony.
Perkins was arrested and later released from jail in July 2020, when the victim’s family contacted Smithfield City Police officers. They described how the defendant, a family acquaintance, was seen on security cameras sexually assaulting their daughter. The case was delayed several times because of the coronavirus pandemic that limited in-person court hearings.
During Monday’s sentencing, defense attorney Shannon Demler said Perkins was a “good guy” who had made a “lapse of judgement.” He asked for a lighter sentence, explaining that his client had undergone an evaluation, determining he was not a pedophile but needed treatment.
Perkins said he made a mistake and “crossed personal boundaries.” He tearfully told the court, he had never been arrested previously.
Cache County Deputy Attorney Ronnie Keller said what Perkins did was egregious. He played video of the crime and a recorded phone call, where the defendant admitted to being attracted to children for years. He also noted how the victim’s family claimed Perkins had been addicted to drugs and pornography for years, and allegedly molested a young girl when he was a minor.
The victim’s parents briefly addressed the court, asking for Perkins to be sentenced to prison. They explained how their family had been traumatized by what happened.
Judge Angela Fonnesbeck sentenced Perkins to a term of 6 years to life. The exact length of incarceration will be determined by the Utah State Board of Pardons and Parole.
Judge Fonnesbeck told Perkins, “In our society, it is never appropriate to do what the defendant did. No child should be put in this situation.”
will@cvradio.com