Prince George's Sexual Abuse Victim Praised For Bravery In Testifying Against Stepdad

UPPER MARLBORO, MD — A Hyattsville man has been sentenced for abusing his stepdaughter when she was between the ages of 8 and 12 years old. The victim - his stepdaughter - has been praised by officials for her bravery in reporting the abuse and testifying against her abuser.

In December 2018, the stepdaughter reported that she has been sexually abused by Quinton Perry, 63. In January 2019, the Child Advocacy Center interviewed the victim, who was 14 years old at the time. She said her stepdad had touched her private parts, had her perform sex acts on him and other activities.

“He was like a stick of dynamite,” said Assistant State’s Attorney Ellen Opdyke during the sentencing hearing. “He came in and exploded this family. He physically abused the mother and committed the ultimate betrayal that an adult can against this child.”

Perry was sentenced Aug. 3 to life in prison plus 25 years after jurors debated for just 30 minutes. The stepdaughter was 18 at the time and her bravery for testify was lauded by officials.

“Often victims don’t feel that they will be believed so it can be challenging for them to make the decision to come forward and report the abuse,” said State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy. “This victim came forward and bravely faced her abuser during the trial and today during the sentencing hearing, telling the court the trauma that she suffered and how it continues to impact her life. I commend her for that. Fortunately, there is no statute of limitations on child sexual assault. This means it is never too late to get justice. I am glad that we were able to secure justice for this victim with this life plus 25 year sentence against Mr. Perry. He will never be able to harm another person in this county.”