Man Who Tried to Have Sex with 14 and 12 year old at Lake Elmo Park, Only gets a Year in Prison and 5 years Probation

Joe Perkins

In September of 2016 Joseph Thor Perkins, number 29 on our list, began communicating with who he thought was a 14 year old child online, according to the criminal complaint. The child was actually the detectives with the Washington County Sheriff's office conducting a sex sting; but he appeared to have no clue. He spoke to who he thought was a 14 year old and her 12 year old cousin for several weeks continuing to ask over and over to meet to have sex: "he repeatedly stated he knew she was 14 years old and wanted to have sex with her any way" [...] "He also at one time suggested she bring her 12 year old cousin along."

"Child 1" stated that she was 14 years old. The response was, "that's not too young. In my opinion, age is just a number and pussy is just pussy."

It's disturbing how open the child predators are speaking to children like this in every single example with the dozens of men caught in the child sex stings over the last few years in Washington County. Likely this comes because they have become emboldened over the years of meeting and raping children to the point they've lost the fear of being caught. 
This is no different for Joseph Perkins in this case, who admitted in conversation with undercover police acting as the child that he "had sex or done sexual things with quite a few underage pussies."

On October 27, 2016 Perkins made arrangements to meet at Lake Elmo Park Reserve in Washington County in order to have sex with the 14 year old child in his truck the next day at 8am in exchange for $250. When he arrived he was told to drive up to the boat launch and did just that. Then he was arrested and eventually charged with soliciting a child for sexual conduct it appears.

Nearly two years later, in Dakota County District Court, Joseph Perkins was convicted for only possession of Child porn. According the BCA website, it appears he was sent to St. Cloud Prison for just over a year (15 months) with 213 days time served in jail between the crime and conviction. When he gets out he will only have 5 years of probation and therefore only 5 years on the sex offender registry it appears.

According to the MN Department Of Corrections there are “17,400 registered (active) predatory offenders” in MN Like Joe Perkins and worse. That is only 2% of registered and “active” sex offenders who are required to be on the not public registry. 98% of sex offenders are not on the registry because 10 years is the max time in MN.  Plus, 75% of sex offenders have not been assigned to a sex offender level to even make the not public list so you can understand there’s a lot more than 17,400 sex offenders in MN.

The solution is in Minnesota law makers hands to make it so no sex crime against a child goes without mandated prison time and lifetime sex offender registration. Currently most child rapists rarely do more than a year in jail and no more than 10 years on the sex offender registry. See more about the solution here: Rampant Sex Crime on Children, in Just 2yrs, 10 Cases From County Alone, 8 Simple Laws to Update

The problem is further explained in our related article: 

Watchdog Review of Each of the Fifty States Sex Offender Laws Finds Minnesota Ranked the Most Unsafe

Please contact your legislators: www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/districtfinder

For many more examples from Washington County of convicted sex offenders still on our streets see our other posts here:
wcwatchdog.com/local-sex-offender-articles/

AKA: Joe Perkins
DOB: 9/25/1981
CITY/RESIDENCE:
According to the criminal complaint he lives across the street from an elementary school, a middle school, and a park at his last known address.
5761 143rd Avenue N 

Apple Valley, MN 55124
DATE: 10/31/2016
CHARGE:
I: Solicit Child or Believe to be a Child Through Electronic Communication to Engage in Sexual Conduct;
Maximum Sentence: 3 years and $5,000
Convicted on 03/22/2018
617.247.4(a) | Possess Pornographic Work-Computer Disk/Electronic/Magnetic/Optical Image w/Porn-Felony
Sentence:
MN Correctional Facility - St. Cloud: 15 month(s), 5 years in prison if he violates probation
Dakota County Jail: 213 Days time served
Probation Dakota County Community Corrections: 5Y

*In no way do we wish harm to the convicted sex offenders outside the judgement of the law. Posting each criminal's data allows the public to decide from the evidence if they appreciate knowing such data. Such as what these sex offender's last known address is. No representation is made that the individuals listed here are currently on the state's offenders registry. All names presented here were gathered at a past date. Some persons listed might no longer be registered offenders and others might have been added. Some addresses or other data might no longer be current. Owners of Washington County Watchdog assume no responsibility (and expressly disclaim responsibility) for updating this site to keep information current or to ensure the accuracy or completeness of any posted information. All data was only accurate at the time of posting per Government sources provided. Accordingly, you should confirm the accuracy and completeness of all posted information before making any decision related to any data presented on this site. The information on this web site is made available solely to protect the public. Anyone who uses this information to commit a crime or to harass an offender or his or her family is subject to criminal prosecution and civil liability. Message us if you can verify us of an address or change in data.  Washington County Watchdog is not responsible for the accuracy of the content shared, refer to our linked government sources.   

$54,000 Gates Installed at County Park. Why?

In April the County approved spending $108,000 for two new gates at the Lake Elmo county park (page 69). The gates are nearly finished being installed and it's not the first site to get them. 

we contacted the County project manager Frank Ticknor and he kindly invited me over to view the plans at the new $17 million dollar County North Shop. The existing shop was a dilapidated building from the 1960's and needed replacing for the County fleet of vehicles. In 2015 we questioned the need to build such a over the top facility that cost nearly the same amount as the 130,000 sq foot Bielenberg sports stadium in Woodbury. Especially when most county shops are simply heated pull barns; more than adequate for their simple functions of storage and maintenance. Shop-Mahal aside, Mr. Ticknor generously gave me the 5 minute tour on the gate plans. He understood the reason I stopped in was to look into the cost. He provided proof of what I had expected to find with proper project award to lowest responsible bid, no cost over runs, etc. The gates truly appear to be $54,000 gates, motorized opening and closing, ground sensors, key pad, remote control entrance for staff, lighting, and cameras. 

Not wanting to waste his time, we respectfully asked the question that's on all our minds: Why does a humble county park need $54,000 high security gates? He stated he was not sure; however, there is a shop on the north end of the park. Pointing out, previously if staff wanted to get in the north entrance they'd have to get out of their car to unlock the gate. The new $54,000 gate operates with a key pad or with a remote (like a garage door opener). He stated the main entrance on south end also has these electronic functions and will provide the same convenient access when the gates are not in the open position during park hours. He stated the gates are more and more common around the county and encouraged me to look at the same model gate at the North Shop (see picture).

It makes sense why the North Shop would have this type of gate since they house sheriff patrol cars and equipment like the $183,000 trail groomer purchased last year (because the $80K option wouldn't cut it). But a park? we've been to all except a dozen of the 72 State parks and they all have your typical manual swing gate. In fact, these were the perfectly functioning gates that were in place at Lake Elmo before the fancy gates got put in. (see picture). 

One should not be surprised the county board rubber stamped this through. Our County debt has tripled in the last decade or so. Also, in four years of reviewing every board meeting and item vote, there has only been one project (a small public works job) to be voted down because of cost out weighing the benefits. In addition, only Commissioner Kriesel and Commissioner Weik rarely and symbolically position themselves as the sole no vote on something (about once a year). Purely symbolic is evidenced by the fact they'll vote no on a large project once and vote yes later on all future votes for it. Such as when Commissioner Weik voted no for the $6.45 million dollar bus stop in Newport, referencing the isolated location and horrible smell that permeates the air at the location; but has voted yes on the dozens of future votes regarding the site and corridor that was going to use the stop. Commissioner Kriesel symbolically voted no just once on one of the half dozen votes regarding the passage of the $170 million dollar take over of private sector garbage processing. The county appears to have no concern for cost when they approved paying $3.4 million dollars to rip up the perfectly good parking lot at the $80 million dollar County Government Center and repave it. The project was $1.1 million dollars over budget with the addition of fancy LED lighting on a facility that is only open during the day. 

The County runs 7 beautiful parks which equates to over a dozen access points that could potentially have these gates. All except St. Croix bluffs have 2 or more road access points. Is the County going to install these high security gates at more of the County run properties? It seems like wasted money as the county is considering doubling their fee on tabs to pay for our roads while we've given $51 million county tax dollars for the Gold Line and Red Rock Corridor. The County board members did not respond to explain.