Mum tells court she impersonated teen daughter when confronting alleged rapist

‘Something was off:’ A concerned mother impersonated her teen daughter to get details after her alleged rape, a court has heard. DETAILS FROM THE TRIAL >>>

Burnie magistrates and supreme court file, Burnie court illustrative, Burnie supreme, Burnie magistrates court 2025. Picture: Elise Kaine

A man told a 14-year-old girl he loved her after he allegedly raped her, a court has heard.

The mother of the alleged victim detailed how she impersonated her daughter on Snapchat to question James David Perry who stood trial at the Burnie Supreme Court on Friday after pleading not guilty to eight counts of rape, six counts of penetrative sexual abuse of a child or young person and two of indecent assault and other charges.

The crimes were alleged to have occurred in 2018-19 against six school-aged girls while Mr Perry was around 19 years old.

The girl told police she was “terrified” after seeing guns and a knife in Mr Perry’s car on the night of her alleged rape.

The mother told the court on the night of the alleged rape she got home from running errands to see her daughter and “a man standing behind the ute and he was getting [her] bike off the back of the ute”.

Trial continues for James David Perry in the Burnie Supreme Court. Picture: Elise Kaine

The man “shoved” the bike toward her daughter and left “like he couldn’t get out of there quick enough”, she said.

When inside, the mother questioned the daughter as to who the man was and why she was with a man after her curfew.

“She didn’t want to talk about it, but her body language and the way she answered questions told me something was off,” the woman told the court.

Eventually the girl told her mother the pair had had sex on their drive.

The mother confiscated the girl’s phone and saw multiple Snapchat messages come through from Mr Perry.

She then pretended to be her 14-year-old daughter while conversing with Mr Perry via Snapchat.

“I wanted to work out what the hell had gone on,” she told the court.

In the messages, Mr Perry asked how she was after today and said he loved the girl.

He asked multiple times if the girl could keep things a secret.

“Can this just stay between me and you only please,” one of the messages read.

“By the end of the day he had blocked her on everything- Snapchat, Facebook,” the mother told the court.

Originally published as Mum tells court she impersonated teen daughter when confronting alleged rapist