Officer Naham James Perry Sentenced to 4 years for Sexually Abusing Stepdaughter

SALISBURY

A former University of Maryland Eastern Shore police officer accused of sexually abusing his teenage stepdaughter was sentenced to serve four years in jail by a Somerset County judge on Wednesday.

Naham James Perry, a 41-year-old Princess Anne resident, faced seven charges, including multiple counts of sex abuse.

Perry entered an Alford plea, a plea that does not admit guilt but concedes there is sufficient evidence to win a conviction, in October on the sex abuse of a minor charge and was found guilty.

The state dismissed the other six charges.

In court Wednesday, the judge sentenced Perry to eight years in prison, but suspended four years. He will also serve two years of supervised probation and is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with the victim or other minors. He must also attend sex abuse counseling.

Perry admitted to one sexual encounter with the teenage victim during the sentencing hearing, but said he was sleeping when the teen performed a sex act on him.

The problem, according to defense attorney James E. Crawford Jr., occurred when Perry told his supervisor and others at his job.

"Boom. It gets blown up and pushed against him," Crawford said.

However, the prosecutor, Wicomico County Assistant State's Attorney Jamie Dykes, said Perry, the victim and the victim's mother told investigators that multiple sexual incidents took place between April 2005 and June 2008. Perry's wife told Maryland State Police investigators that she had to put a stop to the "playful biting"(WTF???? and she didn't say anything else?) between the victim and Perry, Dykes said.

"This victim was in the twilight zone," Dykes said. "It appeared there were no sexual boundaries in the home."

Perry's wife requested her husband not serve any jail time. She said her daughter had a history of lying and made the allegations against her husband because she was jealous of their relationship.

"She's lied on her father and said he was mistreating her and that's how I got custody of her," Perry's wife told the judge.

The victim had previously made false accusations about a board of education employee stalking her.

"He's a good person," Perry's wife said. "He's been upfront and honest with me"

Other Information: http://www.examiner.com/a-1807694~Man_sentenced_to_prison_in_sex_abuse.html