LOS ANGELES — A Utah man will spend 27 years in federal prison for seeking out, paying for and possessing sexually explicit photographs and videos of children.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday that Perry Jay Hunter, a 63-year-old man from Midvale, was sentenced as part of a plea deal. Last August, Hunter pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child. A federal judge in Los Angeles gave him 27 years. In exchange, Hunter's 16 charges of sexual exploitation filed by the Utah Attorney General were dropped.
Hunter was initially charged in Utah in December 2023. According to court documents, investigators discovered communications between him and a sex trafficker in the Philippines, in which Hunter requested specific videos of children being sexually assaulted. Federal agents learned that he had flown to the Philippines, and they requested that Homeland Security agents perform a secondary search when he returned to the U.S.
Agents found what they call child sexual abuse material on his phone. They then interviewed him after advising him of his Miranda rights, which he waived, according to prosecutors.
Hunter allegedly admitted that he was sexually attracted to young children and said he has sent tens of thousands of dollars to Filipina women, in exchange for photos of them and their own kids. He said his trip to the Philippines was to meet “some girls."
Charging documents detail 30 photos and eight videos that were found on Hunter's phone. The images and videos allegedly showed extremely graphic scenes of prepubescent girls nude and being sexually abused. Investigators estimated that their ages ranged from three to eight years old.
According to court records, Hunter was the owner of a company called "Princess Festival." It provided a chance for young girls to meet and play with women dressed as princesses. Prosecutors said his Facebook profile also had photos of him dressed as a king alongside girls in princess costumes.
Although his business caused alarm, federal authorities said Monday that he has not been charged with any offenses connected to his princess-themed parties.
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Resources for sexual assault survivors:
- Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault hotline: 801-736-4356 (available 24/7)
- More resources available online at ucasa.org/resources
