Former martial arts and gymnastics instructor, Franklin Joseph Perkins, of Alvin, Texas, has been given a hefty 168-month sentence for the receipt and possession of illicit material involving minors. The confirmation comes from U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei's office. Having pleaded guilty on February 3, Perkins faced U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown, who ordered the sentences for both convictions to run concurrently, effectively setting the term to 168 months, as reported on Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice.
In a detailed examination of Perkins’s past, which involved his role as a gymnastics and martial arts instructor, the court was apprised of his inappropriate behavior, which included giving unsolicited massages under the pretense of being a massage therapist, a title for which he held no license. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the investigation dug into complaints of Perkins commenting on a 13-year-old's appearance and later making unwanted advances after providing her with alcohol.
Following his incarceration, Perkins will be under supervised release for a decade, where he’ll face strict regulations concerning his interactions with children and his use of internet. Furthermore, he is required to register as a sex offender, a stipulation meant to prevent future offenses and to alert communities of his presence. The gravity of these types of crimes was underscored by Judge Brown when he noted the real victims in these "ugly cases" during the sentencing, as stated by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Perkins's former places of employment, Kuk Sool Won martial arts studio and Gulf Coast Gymnastics, have been implicated in the case due to his past association with these institutions. His activities came to light after Google flagged uploads of suspected child sexual abuse material to its servers, eventually linking the account to Perkins. He was then discovered using multiple Google accounts and his personal cell phone to receive and possess the abusive content. He will remain in federal custody until his transfer to an appropriate Bureau of Prisons facility, as per the U.S. Department of Justice.
The investigation was a joint operation between Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and several local law enforcement agencies, reflecting the extensive cooperation needed to address child sexual exploitation. The case was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative aiming to combat the rise in child exploitation. For those seeking more information on the initiative or internet safety education, resources are available at the Project Safe Childhood website, as per the U.S. Department of Justice.
