Centerville man sentenced after pleading guilty to aggravated sexual battery
A Centerville man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to aggravated sexual battery involving an 8-year-old child, according to a news release from the Houston County District Attorney’s Office.
CENTERVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Centerville man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to aggravated sexual battery involving an 8-year-old child, according to a news release from the Houston County District Attorney’s Office.
31-year-old Julian Gray Perdue IV entered the plea on Thursday in Houston County Superior Court. Judge Amy Smith sentenced Perdue to 25 years in prison followed by life on probation. Upon release, he must register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life and follow all related probation conditions, according to the release.
According to the district attorney’s office, the charges stem from a February 2, 2024, incident in which Perdue took the child to an abandoned mobile home in Centerville and committed multiple sex acts. The child immediately told her family, which led to a physical confrontation. When law enforcement arrived, Perdue left in a van and led officers on a short chase before being caught by Centerville Police. He was intoxicated and arrested for DUI, the release stated.
The Houston County Sheriff’s Office Juvenile Investigations Division handled the sexual assault investigation and verified the child’s account. The case was investigated with assistance from the Centerville Police Department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Crescent House Children’s Advocacy Center in Macon.
“So long as there are children, there will be child predators,” Assistant District Attorney Justin Duane said in the release. “They are almost always the person you least expect. Today, we have one less child predator on the street. Mr. Perdue did the right thing today by taking accountability for his actions. His plea today ensures that he will be in prison until the year 2050, and I am grateful that the child victim in this case did not have to face a public trial. Thank you to Centerville PD, Sgt. Johnson of the Sheriff’s Office, and the folks at the Crescent House.”
District Attorney Eric Z. Edwards also recognized the agencies involved.
“There is no greater responsibility we bear than protecting our children,” Edwards said. “The defendant’s actions in this case are unbelievably appalling, but the swift action by law enforcement and the strength shown by this young victim and her family made it possible for us to secure justice without anyone having to endure a public trial.”
