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Melanie Curtin not guilty: 5 things to know about Livingston Parish rape case, ‘I’m looking forward to…’
Melanie Curtin was found not guilty on all counts in her second trial linked to a 2014 sexual assault involving former Deputy Dennis Perkins.
Melanie Curtin was acquitted on all counts on Tuesday during her second trial related to a 2014 sexual assault case involving former Deputy Dennis Perkins of the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Curtin was charged with simple rape and video voyeurism, with allegations suggesting that she assisted Perkins in raping an unconscious woman. The verdict was overseen by Judge Brian Abels.
The jury reached its decision after roughly three hours of discussion, which followed a trial lasting a week.
“I am so thankful for the people that prayed for me and fought for me, and I’m looking forward to freedom,” Curtin stated.
In response to a question regarding her message to Livingston Parish, Curtin stated, “I’m never coming back. I won’t be back.”
Melanie Curtin's attorney reacts
Curtin's defense lawyer stated that the jury assessed the evidence and recognized the shortcomings in the state's argument. “That they fully and completely evaluated the evidence and saw the flaws in the state’s case like we did.”
Attorney General’s Office issues statement
Erica Moore, a prosecutor from the Louisiana State Attorney General's Office, said that her office disagreed with the jury's decision but honored the judicial process. “We disagree with the verdict of the jury. We respect the process and we believe that all of the evidence was provided,” Moore remarked.
“I am also deeply troubled by a certain media campaign that I believe was an intentional effort to influence the legal process, poison the jury, and undermine confidence in the justice system," the AG office said.
Calling Dennis Perkins “a sick, demented, disgusting, and evil person,” Moore said, he “will die in prison for his heinous crimes, and Cynthia Perkins will remain incarcerated for decades.”
Melanie Curtin not guilty of all charges: 5 things to know about the case
- Dennis Perkins, a former deputy sheriff from Louisiana, has received a 100-year prison sentence in 2023 after admitting guilt to a series of sexual abuse offenses, which include child abuse.
- He will spend the remainder of his life incarcerated after he pleaded guilty to numerous charges, including rape, possession of child abuse images, video voyeurism, and tainting food with a bodily fluid, according to authorities.
- In October 2019, investigators apprehended Perkins and his now ex-wife, Cynthia Perkins. The majority of the allegations against them pertained to a child under the age of 13. The couple faced charges including rape, attempted rape, sexual battery, video voyeurism, and the production of images depicting child abuse over several months in 2019, as reported by the Advocate.
- Cynthia Perkins, who stepped down from her teaching role and initiated divorce proceedings following her arrest, was originally faced with over 70 charges before reaching a plea agreement.
- Another person, Melanie Curtin, has been sentenced to life imprisonment since 2022 following a jury's conviction of her involvement in assisting Dennis Perkins in the rape and filming of a woman who was incapacitated in 2014.
