Staff Report
A former Rowan County resident once given the key to the city by Salisbury City Council is serving at least 16 months in prison after being convicted of taking indecent liberties with a child in Wake County.
Gregory A. Perkins, 42, of Raleigh, had been charged with seven felonies including two counts of forcible sexual offense, two counts of statutory sex offense against a 13-, 14- or 15-year-old, first-degree statutory rape and statutory rape of a 13-, 14- or 15-year-old.
The Apex Police Department arrested Perkins in 2009. He was convicted Sept. 29 and began serving his sentence in October, according to N.C. Department of Correction records. He could serve up 20 months, the records show.
Perkins graduated from West Rowan High School. According to Post files, he was a member of the National Honor Society and student government at West Rowan and earned a number of recognitions, including the U.S. National Mathematics Award and the National Service and Leadership Award.
A JROTC member, he joined the U.S. Army after graduating. As a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, he served in the first Gulf War and during his deployment in 1991 wrote a letter to Salisbury City Council asking that the city keep an American flag flying until all the nation’s soldiers returned home.
The city kept U.S. flags flying on The Square and when Perkins returned home, Mayor John Wear and the council presented him the key to the city.
Perkins is also a former Durham police officer, Apex police said after his arrest.