Former Bristol Youth Football Coach Jesse Perry, convicted of child molestation in January, will serve the rest of his life in prison, the state Attorney General’s office announced Friday afternoon.
In addition to the life term, the former Bristol man, 61, was ordered to undergo sex offender counseling, must comply with sex offender registration and notification upon release and ordered to have no contact with the victim.
Perry was found guilty in January of two counts of first degree child molestation and one count of second degree child molestation. The verdict was handed down by Superior Court Justice Netti C. Vogel after a jury-waived trial. Justice Vogel sentenced Perry to a term of life for each count of first degree child molestation and 30 years for the count of second degree child molestation, sentences to run concurrent.
Perry was convicted of molesting a young man several times between 1990 and 1997. The victim testified that Perry was his youth football coach and a father-like figure to him. The molestation began when he was about 10 years old and continued until he was 17.
“The defendant used his position of power and respect in the community to prey on a young boy for his own personal sexual gratification, Attorney General Peter Kilmartin said. “He then manipulated his victim for years with threats of abandonment and suicide to maintain the relationship. His actions were not that of a loving parental figure but rather those of a depraved sexual predator.”
Three other former students testified in court that Mr. Perry had inappropriately touched them in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The molestations were reported to Bristol Police in 2004 but the statute of limitations had expired.
“I commend the victims who came forward to testify despite the statutes of limitations expiring on their cases. It takes tremendous courage to share their traumatic experiences to ensure that justice is done and that the defendant cannot hurt another child,” Mr. Kilmartin said.