Mt. Vernon’s Periman pleads guilty to elder abuse, gets probation

A Mt. Vernon man avoided prison when he pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree elder abuse on Thursday, March 21. Marvin Periman, 66, received two years of probation and a suspended one-year jail sentence after accepting a plea deal with the Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. In return, four other charges, including three counts of first-degree sodomy and a charge of having sexual intercourse with a person who was unable to consent were dismissed.
Periman was accused of committing the acts between Aug. 14, 2014 and Aug. 13, 2016.
It was reported in 2017 that Periman was charged with the crimes after he was accused of forcing himself on a female resident at Life Enhancement Village, an assisted living facility in Nixa. He was also accused of touching that resident and another woman inappropriately. Periman denied the accusation when he was interviewed by Nixa police.
While he is on probation, Periman must abide by a number of regulations. He is required to obey all laws, have no contact with the victims in the case, and must not associate with anyone who has been convicted of a felony. He must also satisfactorily complete the MOSOP Program, submit to a drug or alcohol test when requested by any police officer or judge, not possess or use any controlled substance unless it is prescribed by a licensed medical practitioner and comply with any sex offender supervision requirements as directed by Probation and Parole.