Nov 30, 2017 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – A man accused of raping an 11-year-old girl on several occasions beginning in 2016 has been deemed incompetent to stand trial.

Matthew S. Perry, 39, of Greensboro, will be treated at Torrance State Hospital near Blairsville to see if he can be restored to competency in order to stand trial.

In addition, Greene County Judge Louis Dayich called for Perry to be involuntarily committed to a treatment facility, in part to ensure his expedient transfer to Torrance.

Perry was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair, hunched over, trembling and unable to speak during his competency hearing Wednesday afternoon.

Perry’s preliminary hearing in August was postponed after his attorney expressed concerns for his mental health. Perry was reportedly refusing to bathe and on suicide watch at the jail. The competency hearing was precipitated by his unwillingness to communicate with an attorney. Dayich addressed Perry directly, asking if he could understand the ongoing proceedings. Perry did not respond to Dayich or when his rights being involuntarily committed were read to him.

Additional medical testing did not determine an immediate and evident cause for Perry’s condition, according to testimony in court Wednesday. Public defender Harry Cancelmi also said a written statement by Perry’s mother indicated there was a history of mental illness in his family, including paranoia, suicide and schizophrenia. Dr. Morris Harper, who serves as Greene County jail physician, said Perry’s tremors could be a symptom of chronic unspecified schizophrenia, though he did not go so far as to assign a diagnosis.

Perry was charged in June with the rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and corruption of minors. The girl reported the assaults occurred while she stayed overnight with a friend, state police said. Perry allegedly told the girl how to pose for “provocative” pictures he would take of her on his cellphone, the criminal complaint said.

The sexual relationship reportedly began in the summer of 2016 and continued through March. The girl told police on one occasion Perry raped her in his vehicle in a wooded area, according to court documents. The girl also told police there may be at least one additional victim.

U.S. Marshals arrested Perry in August near a mosque in Morgantown, W.Va., where he had been hiding. A laptop was confiscated from the mosque. A warrant for Perry’s arrest indicates police searched his home at 197 Hartley Road and found a camera.

Perry was transported back to Greene County jail to await transport to the state psychiatric facility for treatment. Dayich ordered Perry be involuntarily committed for a period no longer than 90 days, with a report to the court on his progress and diagnosis within 60 days. Authorities were also directed to share information on Perry’s progress and diagnosis with his attorneys.