Former teacher admits child porn addiction

RALEIGH -- A 39-year-old former middle school teacher will spend 20 days in jail and five years on probation after pleading guilty today to 10 counts of second-degree exploitation of a minor.

Jason Garant Perkins gave an emotional confession of his sexual addiction after a prosecutor described nearly 200 images of child erotica and pornography found on his computer. The images included video of minors engaged in sex.

"I soothed myself it was only a fantasy world," Perkins said, adding that he has since joined Sex Addicts Anonymous and a 12-step program called Celebrate Recovery. His computer is filtered for sexual content, and he spends only about 15 minutes a day out of the company of his wife, employer or customers at the store where he now works.

Perkins, of Morrisville, taught social studies at Woods Charter School in Chapel Hill until abruptly resigning just before charges were filed in April.

His wife, Kelly, spoke tearfully of losing friends, selling nearly all their possessions to pay bills and, worst, having to send her 13-year-old son to live with his biological father out of state while the case progressed.

"How do you choose?" she asked. "How do you break your own heart in half?"

Perkins received a 16- to 20-month suspended prison term and imposed 60 months of supervised probation so that he can complete lengthy recovery programs. Perkins must also serve 20 days of active time on weekends.

Further, Perkins must register as a sex offender, submit to random computer searches and complete the state's sex offender control program. He will be allowed to be with his own two children and stepson.