No jail time for ‘creepy caller’ who targeted B.C. women with sexual phone calls

A Qualicum Beach man who made threatening and harassing phone calls to dozens of women around the province won’t be spending time behind bars.

Joel Perry, 33, was handed an 18-month conditional sentence on Monday.

The sentencing judge, in delivering his ruling, called this “a very, very odd case”—noting he’d never seen anything like it. Perry must undergo counselling, and not have any contact with his victims. He’ll reside in Parksville at his mother’s house, followed by three years probation.

Perry was arrested last May, after police issued a public warning about the calls.

He was initially charged with 70 criminal counts, including 31 counts of harassing/indecent phone calls, 18 counts of criminal harassment, 13 counts of uttering threats and eight counts of extortion.

He pleaded guilty to 32 charges in December.

Serial harassment

Perry was arrested last May after what police described as a “complex” investigation involving officers in multiple jurisdictions.

According to the RCMP, Perry made threatening and harassing phone and video calls to women around B.C., focusing particularly on Metro Vancouver.

Investigators said at the time that Perry appeared to have started making the calls in September 2017.

WATCH: (Aired: Feb. 2018) RCMP warning about threatening phone calls to women

1:43 RCMP warning about threatening phone calls to women

At times, police said, he accurately identified his victims by name and address or told them he was watching them through cameras hidden in their homes.

Police also said that he demanded the women engage him in sexually explicit conversations. If they refused, he threatened to kill their families, according to police.

While most of Perry’s victims were targeted in their homes, police said several women working at lingerie and swimwear shops were also targeted.

Investigators said it appears he was able to use software to hide his phone number, and that he used social media to gather details on the women he harassed.

-With files from Sarah MacDonald