Tulsan who sexually abused young child sentenced to life in federal prison
A Tulsan who sexually abused a young child for approximately one year has been sentenced in federal court.
U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary sentenced Robert William Perry II, 32, to life in federal prison. In May, Perry was found guilty at trial for aggravated sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country and for abusive sexual contact of a minor in Indian Country.
“Robert Perry’s crimes are despicable. The defendant repeatedly abused a 7-year-old girl for whom the defendant was responsible,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This week, the Court made it clear that Perry’s predatory crimes and blame shifting warranted a lifetime in federal prison.”
During the hearing, the judge called Perry’s actions intentional and manipulative. He reflected on the long-term trauma the child would have to live with then noted that protecting children was one of society’s highest duties.
Perry sexually abused the minor from May 6, 2017, to May 15, 2018,. Prosecutors contended that Perry would coerce the young child into sex acts then “reward” her with candy, other items, and the opportunity to play video games in what the defendant termed as a “man cave,” a closet where Perry regularly played video games and watched pornography. Most of the abuse occurred in the closet while the child was in the defendant’s care. The child eventually told a friend at school about the abuse. Another student overheard the discussion and reported it to her teacher. The teacher had a conversation with the victim, who then disclosed the abuse and wrote about it. The teacher reported the crimes to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.
In a forensic interview, the young child was initially hesitant to speak about the abuse but indicated that Perry made her keep secrets. She eventually drew a picture of the abuse when she was examined by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. She also testified about the abuse at an earlier state trial and at the federal trial in May 2022.
Perry was previously convicted in Tulsa County District Court in 2020, but the conviction was later dismissed because the state lacked jurisdiction to prosecute the case following the Supreme Court’s decision in McGirt v Oklahoma. Perry is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation, and the crimes occurred within the tribe’s reservation. Only the federal government or tribes have jurisdiction to prosecute cases that occur in Indian Country that involve Native American defendants.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex M. Scott and Valeria G. Luster prosecuted the case.
*Note: The defendant, Robert Perry II, now identifies as she/her.