Prescot man jailed for two decades over historic child abuse
56-year-old Kevin Perry carried out the attacks whilst working as a childminder
A Merseyside childminder was jailed for 20 years today (Tue) after sexually abusing and raping a vulnerable young girl.
Kevin Perry’s historic predatory behaviour came to light after complaints were made in relation to his child-minding business, which he had later started, and police inquiries led to the victim coming forward.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that his four-year campaign of abuse more than three decades ago has scarred her emotionally.
Perry, of Cross Lane, Prescot, denied the allegations against him but was unanimously convicted by a jury of two rape offences and 13 indecent assaults.
The 56-year-old, who appeared by video link, still denies the offences and Judge Robert Trevor-Jones pointed out that he had forced his victim to give evidence in court and be branded a liar.
“This was a prolonged course of sexual offending against a very vulnerable young girl. She was 12 when you began to abuse her,” he said,
The court heard that she had a dysfunctional family and Perry befriended them and viewed himself as a quasi-guardian to her and she looked up to him and trusted him.
The offences began after she fell asleep in his car at Southport beach and awoke to find him sexually molesting her. Afterwards he suggested she should be his girlfriend, despite him being ten years older, and she was flattered and thought it “cool.”
“That was a quite cynical device to manipulate her,” said the judge. Perry groomed her by giving her gifts and his sexual abuse continued and when she was 15 he twice raped her despite her protest and tears.
It ended two years later but she has since been left “ashamed and embarrassed by his dirty little secret” and she has suffered enduring trauma, said Judge Trevor-Jones.
Perry, who showed no reaction, was ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order was made. He will have to serve at least two thirds of the prison term.