CHRISTOPHER PERRY EXETER SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED FOR HISTORIC ABUSE CASE

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Exeter, Christopher Perry, a resident of Wiley’s Avenue, was sentenced to 14 and a half years in prison for a series of heinous sexual offenses committed over several decades. The severity of this case was underscored by the presiding judge, who described it as one of the most serious instances of sexual abuse he had ever encountered in his judicial career.

Details of the case revealed that Perry, aged 69 at the time of sentencing, had attempted to evade justice by feigning memory loss. This tactic was employed after he learned that police were interviewing his three victims. Perry sought psychological treatment, claiming to suffer from sudden amnesia, but his deception was ultimately uncovered. The truth emerged when one of his victims, stopped for drink-driving, confided to police that she used alcohol to numb the memories of her childhood, which had been stolen through Perry’s abuse.

Following this revelation, a dedicated team of investigators, led by Detective Constable Moira Hamilton of Exeter CID, traced the other two victims. These women had kept their suffering secret for nearly 40 years, but their courage in coming forward allowed the authorities to piece together the extent of Perry’s crimes. Perry admitted to a total of 12 charges, which included indecent assault, gross indecency, and other sexual offenses. These crimes spanned from 1973 to 2000 and involved three girls aged between four and 16 at the time of the abuse, with offenses occurring across all four decades.

After Perry’s guilty plea, Detective Sergeant Adrian Hawkins expressed that the sentence provided some measure of closure for the victims. He emphasized that Perry had devastated their childhoods by subjecting them to prolonged sexual abuse, which left them living in fear for many years. Hawkins praised the police investigation, highlighting the efforts of DC Moira Hamilton and her colleagues in gathering the evidence necessary to bring Perry to justice. He reaffirmed the police’s commitment to tackling historic abuse cases, stating that such offenses are taken very seriously and that perpetrators will be pursued relentlessly.

During the sentencing hearing at Exeter Crown Court, Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, addressed Perry directly, describing the case as among the most serious of its kind he had encountered. The judge questioned the sincerity of Perry’s remorse, noting that if genuine, it had come very late in his life and after his victims had endured years of suffering. The judge pointed out that Perry’s abuse had ruined the victims’ childhood and teenage years, and that the case only came to light after one victim was stopped for drink-driving and revealed her reason for drinking was to cope with the trauma inflicted by Perry.

As part of his sentence, Perry was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which prohibits him from having contact with children upon his release. The prosecution, led by Andrew MacFarlane, highlighted the profound distress caused by Perry’s actions, which spanned over 27 years. MacFarlane detailed how Perry had used threats and manipulation to silence his victims, some of whom endured violent rapes and, on one occasion, were tied up during the assault.

The case took a further turn when Perry sought psychological help, claiming to have memory loss. However, a psychologist’s assessment concluded that Perry was attempting to use this as a defense, as his memory was intact. His defense lawyer, Nicolas Gerasimidis, argued that Perry’s guilty pleas had spared the victims from the trauma of testifying in court and that Perry now genuinely felt remorseful. Gerasimidis expressed hope that this case would mark a turning point for the victims’ healing process, acknowledging the pain Perry’s actions had caused.