Man previously on probation, suspected child predator, sentenced after striking officer with vehicle in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter Neronha announced today that a Rhode Island man was sentenced in Washington County Superior Court following an undercover child exploitation operation by state and federal law enforcement agencies during which the defendant injured a law enforcement officer.

On Thursday, at a hearing before Superior Court Justice Kristin Rodgers, 31-year-old Alec Perry was sentenced to 27.5 years, with 12 years to serve at the ACI and 15.5 years suspended with probation. The defendant is also required to register as a sex offender for a minimum of 25 years.

During the hearing, the defendant entered a plea of nolo contendere to one count of assault with intent to commit specified felonies, one count of indecent solicitation of a child, one count of electronically disseminating indecent material to a minor, one count of eluding law enforcement, one count of assault of a police officer, one count of reckless driving, one count of resisting arrest, one count of obstructing an officer in the execution of duty, one count of driving without a valid license, and one count of failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

“The results of this joint operation send a clear message: those who wish to exploit and endanger children will be met by a powerful coalition of law enforcement partners tasked with preventing such harm,” said Attorney General Neronha. “I want to thank the investigative team from my Office, the Rhode Island State Police, and our federal and local law enforcement partners, each of whom played key roles in this operation’s success.”

Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove that during an undercover investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies, the defendant contacted and made plans to meet up with an investigator he believed to be a female child under the age of 14 for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. Upon being confronted by law enforcement, the defendant struck and seriously injured a law enforcement officer with his vehicle while attempting to evade arrest.

On August 1, 2025, investigators conducted an undercover investigation aimed at identifying individuals exploiting children online. The defendant contacted one of the investigators, whom he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, and expressed interest in engaging in sexual activity. The defendant agreed to meet the investigator at a location in North Kingstown and sent explicit photos of himself.

When the defendant arrived at the location, law enforcement officials from multiple agencies attempted to take the defendant into custody. Officers identified themselves as police and instructed the defendant to exit his vehicle. The defendant then accelerated at a high speed, striking a North Kingstown Police detective. Emergency personnel treated the officer at the scene and transported him to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigators pursued the defendant until the defendant crashed his vehicle a short distance away. After a brief pursuit on foot, investigators detained the defendant.

Perry was on probation at the time for previous charges of First-Degree Robbery, Felony Assault, and Possession of a Stolen Vehicle.

“Mr. Perry’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes and ensures he will be held accountable for targeting a child and endangering the lives of the law enforcement officers who worked to bring him into custody,” said Rhode Island State Police Colonel Darnell S. Weaver. “I commend our Troopers and our federal and local law enforcement partners for their outstanding work throughout this investigation. Their coordinated efforts protected a child from becoming a victim and sent a clear message that those who prey on children will be found, arrested, and prosecuted.”

Special Assistant Attorneys General Danielle Beauvais and Taylor Matook of the Attorney General’s Office and Detective Trooper Thomas Bruso of the Rhode Island State Police led the investigation and prosecution of the case with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, North Kingstown Police Department, Providence Police Department, and Warwick Police Department.