Utah man accused of 'sex tourism' sentenced to 27 years for producing child sex abuse material

MIDVALE — A Midvale man accused of "sex tourism" was sentenced in California this week to 27 years in prison for soliciting the production of child sexual abuse material.

Perry Jay Hunter, 63, pleaded guilty in August in the Central District of California to sexual exploitation of a child for the purpose of producing a sexually explicit visual depiction. He was initially arrested in December 2023 and accused of "sex tourism" after returning from the Philippines.

"I believe his intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct was a dominant, significant and motivating purpose for his travel to the Philippines because he discussed on multiple occasions his intention to engage in sexual conduct with numerous minors in the Philippines," a detective said in Hunter's criminal complaint.

Hunter owned a company called "Princess Festival," where he role-played as a king for young girls to play princesses, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. He was not charged in connection with any princess-themed events and pleaded guilty to criminal activity involving minors in the Philippines.

Hunter was questioned at Los Angeles International Airport in October 2023 while returning home from the Philippines. He was being investigated as part of a child exploitation-related case, and Customs and Border Protection officers located child sexual abuse material on his phone.

Investigators say they found evidence in his phone that Hunter made "significant efforts" to make arrangements to sexually abuse children in the months leading up to his trip to the Philippines, a police booking affidavit said.

Hunter admitted to Homeland Security agents that "he had a sexual interest in young children and had gone to the Philippines to meet 'some girls,'" a criminal complaint states. Hunter used WhatsApp to communicate with people in the Philippines about engaging in illicit sexual conduct with their daughters and to pay for sexually explicit photos and videos.

"He has sent tens of thousands of dollars to women in the Philippines in exchange for photographs of the women and their children," the complaint states.

According to the plea agreement, Hunter paid a woman in the Philippines for images and videos of her and her minor daughter in sexually explicit situations.

Hunter's Utah charges of six counts of aggravated sexual exploitation, a first-degree felony, and 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony, were dismissed when he pleaded guilty to the federal charge. After his 27 years in prison, Hunter will serve life on probation.

Related topics