Perry Elwood Bennington
Jury’s recommendation may be largest ever in a sex abuse case..
A Kentucky father was convicted of the sexual abuse of his daughter that spanned decades. Perry E. Bennington, 59 of Shepherdsville, was found guilty by a jury (last week) who deliberated for an hour before handing down a recommendation of 155 years in prison for the abuse of his daughter,who was abused from age 6 to 22 years old.
Bennington (whas)
Bennington was the man who was originally charged with an astounding 7,500 counts of sexual abuse which were eventually reduced by a Bullitt Co. grand jury (as he had abused 2 family members and also a young family friend).
A DNA test played a big part in this case, when authorities had a child’s (born to a victim when she was 16) body exhumed to test for paternity.The results revealed a 99.99% certainty that Bennington fathered this victim’s child. Another DNA test also concluded that he fathered another child with yet another victim in a separate case.
The victim in this case, bravely took the stand and testified against Bennington. She told of her fear of telling anyone of the abuse, and how she endured thoughts of suicide before the abuse finally came to an end. After the verdict was read, the victim said she felt as if a “weight had been lifted”, and to other victims of abuse she said about the trial verdict:
With all my heart, I hope it gives everybody who has been victims the strength to stand up and get the justice they deserve.
This woman has been hurt so terribly and I think she showed so much c ourage and bravery to bring her father to justice and to keep up her fight to see it through from start to finish for 2 very long difficult years, and she is to be commended. Bennington’s sentencing is set for June 8, 2009.
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3 Comments
May 27 ,2009 at 8:00 pm
What a sick man.
August 23 ,2009 at 1:22 pm
Update: Bennington’s sentence was just reduced to 70 years for his disgusting crimes, which works out fine, because I don’t think he will survive even 5 more years (look at him).
Ky law doesn’t permit sentences for more than 70 years unfortunately, so the original recommendation by the jury was overturned by a judge.
August 28 ,2009 at 4:24 pm
I can only hope (and please forgive me Lord), that this sick and obviously twisted individual – and others – get thoroughly ‘mounted’ in jail, become a ‘bitch’ and are put through the same pain that these children have had to endure.
John