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Erika Perdue, the 41-year-old University Park woman indicted in May for collecting and sharing child pornography, has been kicked out of a rehab facility for attempting suicide, court records show. Last week, U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney ordered that Perdue be detained until trial, deeming her a flight risk and a danger to the community.
Perdue was indicted on May 1st for four counts of transporting, shipping, receipt, and possession of child pornography. An affidavit by FBI Agent Deborah Michaels stated that when federal agents searched Perdue’s $1.3 million home on April 10th, she admitted to trading child pornography daily. (Be warned: the indictment and affidavit both include descriptions of the files found in Perdue’s possession and are very disturbing.)
Perdue was arrested on April 10,then released two days later to attend the Sante Center for Healing, a residential treatment center in Argyle. The conditions of her pretrial release mandated that she undergo sex offender-specific treatment.
On June 13, Perdue’s probation officer reported that she was sent to United Behavioral Health Hospital in Denton the day before, after she told Sante staff that she was “once again having suicidal thoughts,” the report shows.
“The clinical director, clinical psychologist, and the defendant’s psychiatrist are in agreement that the defendant’s behavior indicates she continues to be a risk to herself and others at the facility,” the report states. The probation officer requested that Perdue be found in violation of her probation and the conditions of her pretrial release be revoked.
Judge Stickney agreed, ruling on June 27 that there is “no condition or combination of conditions of release which could be set which would reasonably assure Ms. Perdue’s appearance at future court hearings and protect the safety of the community.”
Perdue isn’t listed as being in custody yet, meaning that she’s likely still in the hospital. Her trial is set for September 10.
