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Lawyer for Dennis Perkins calls his actions a 'joke,' denies Perkins raped child or contaminated sweets

4 years 3 months 1 week ago Thursday, December 19 2019 Dec 19, 2019 December 19, 2019 4:40 PM December 19, 2019 in News
Source: WBRZ

LIVINGSTON - For the first time since Cynthia and Dennis Perkins were arrested back in October, we were given insight into what's going through the mind of the alleged child predators.

"He's struggling," newly enrolled defense attorney Jarrett Ambeau said. "He's embarrassed. He's heartbroken that he participated in some of these things that he would have never wanted to do."

Cynthia and Dennis both entered not guilty pleas Thursday to the very serious charges against them. Those pleas came about an hour after Cynthia Perkins filed for divorce alleging that she is "fearful" of Dennis Perkins.

This week, Cynthia and Dennis were both charged with a combined total of 150 felonies tied to child rape, sexual battery, video voyeurism, production of child pornography, and mingling harmful substances. The duo is accused of contaminating pastries with semen that were eventually served to Cynthia Perkins' class at Westside Junior High in Walker.

"Terrible, inappropriate, ridiculous joking," Ambeau said. "But there's absolutely no time that I (Perkins) ever did that... 100 percent. He wants the community to know maybe I (Perkins) did terrible things, maybe there's bad stuff going on here."

Ambeau also claimed his client did not rape anyone.

Cynthia Perkins' attorneys said they too are ready for her story to be told, but would not say what the story is just yet.

"She has a very different version... A very different story that she is going to tell," James Spokes said. "I'm not prepared to do that at this time but we look forward to doing that in the future."

In the courtroom, Ambeau asked a judge to have Dennis Perkins removed from the isolation unit at Elayn Hunt where he has been spending approximately 23 hours a day in a small room.

"I know that there is a feeling in the community that my client is some kind of monster," Ambeau said. "He's a human being. He remains a human being. We don't believe in torturing people and pretrial punishment unless and until he's proven guilty... He doesn't deserve to be punished prior to being found guilty and having him in a cell 24 hours a day where he doesn't have the freedom to brush his teeth... shower... and make a phone call or go outside is not okay."

The Attorney General's Office declined to comment on Thursday but pointed to the indictment that was handed up by a grand jury this week. It shows prosecutors have video and picture evidence that is now being used against Cynthia and Dennis Perkins.

All sides are due back in court in March for a motion hearing.

Also this week, a lawsuit was unsealed in the Livingston Parish courthouse that shows a parent claiming her child was fed cupcakes contaminated with semen on two different occasions. The lawsuit alleges the Livingston Parish School System did not do enough to protect students.

The school system said it would not comment on pending litigation.

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