Man freed from prison after 30 years charged again with rape

A Massachusetts man who spent three decades in prison for a rape he says he did not commit before being freed in 2016 is now accused by police of raping a woman in January.George Perrot, 51, was arraigned Monday in Essex Superior Court on rape and other charges in connection with a Jan. 4 incident in Lawrence. Justin Khalil of Methuen was driving home that January night when he saw what he said “looked like a dead body” on a sidewalk in Lawrence. “I was screaming and nobody responded. He didn't answer me, she didn't answer me,” he said. Khalil called police. When they responded, police said Perrot continued engaging in the behavior, then became combative, trying to strike the officer. “The guy just got up and he just started swinging at the officer. So, I just helped the officer out,” Khalil said. “I helped put the handcuffs on him.” Prosecutors said the woman -- who was partially naked and unconscious during the incident -- said Perrot raped her after offering her drugs. The woman was revived using Narcan.Perrot's attorney blamed the system."Once he was released, he was released with no direction and he fell into what would be expected -- a life of living on the street, of drugs and alcohol," defense attorney Tom Torrisi said.Perrot pleaded not guilty and was held without bail. He is due back in court on June 10.Perrot was convicted and sent to prison on allegations he raped a 78-year-old woman in Springfield in 1985 when he was 17. But he was freed in 2016 based on flawed testimony about microscopic hair evidence.

A Massachusetts man who spent three decades in prison for a rape he says he did not commit before being freed in 2016 is now accused by police of raping a woman in January.

George Perrot, 51, was arraigned Monday in Essex Superior Court on rape and other charges in connection with a Jan. 4 incident in Lawrence.


Justin Khalil of Methuen was driving home that January night when he saw what he said “looked like a dead body” on a sidewalk in Lawrence.



“I was screaming and nobody responded. He didn't answer me, she didn't answer me,” he said.

Khalil called police. When they responded, police said Perrot continued engaging in the behavior, then became combative, trying to strike the officer.

“The guy just got up and he just started swinging at the officer. So, I just helped the officer out,” Khalil said. “I helped put the handcuffs on him.”

Prosecutors said the woman -- who was partially naked and unconscious during the incident -- said Perrot raped her after offering her drugs. The woman was revived using Narcan.

Perrot's attorney blamed the system.



"Once he was released, he was released with no direction and he fell into what would be expected -- a life of living on the street, of drugs and alcohol," defense attorney Tom Torrisi said.

Perrot pleaded not guilty and was held without bail. He is due back in court on June 10.



Perrot was convicted and sent to prison on allegations he raped a 78-year-old woman in Springfield in 1985 when he was 17. But he was freed in 2016 based on flawed testimony about microscopic hair evidence.

