A former martial arts and gymnastics instructor from Alvin, Texas, has been sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Franklin Joseph Perkins, 42, pleaded guilty on February 3. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown imposed sentences of 168 months for receipt and 120 months for possession of child pornography, with the terms to run concurrently for a total of 168 months in prison. Following his release, Perkins will be subject to ten years of supervised release with restrictions on his access to children and the internet. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
During the sentencing hearing, additional information was presented regarding Perkins’ work as a gymnastics and martial arts instructor. The court heard that he gave massages to female teens while claiming to be a massage therapist despite not having a license for such services. Testimony included an account from a victim who said that at age 13 Perkins commented on her body, and after she turned 14 he gave her alcohol, touched her breasts, and attempted to force himself on her. Her statement described feelings of manipulation and betrayal due to her trust in him as her coach.
Perkins previously worked at Kuk Sool Won martial arts studio and Gulf Coast Gymnastics in Alvin.
The investigation found that Perkins used Google accounts and his cell phone to receive and possess child sexual abuse material after law enforcement linked him to files uploaded onto Google servers.
He remains in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations along with Pearland Police Department, Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, and the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Leo and Colton Turner prosecuted the case under Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation through coordination among federal, state, and local agencies (https://www.justice.gov/psc). Information about internet safety education is available at www.usdoj.gov/psc under the “resources” tab.
In delivering the sentence, Judge Brown stated: “Child pornography cases are ugly cases with real victims.”
