Two Wheeling men were sentenced Monday in Ohio County Circuit Court in separate sex crime cases, according to Ohio County Prosecutor Shawn Turak.

Geoffrey O’Brien, 39, was sentenced to up to five years in prison, serving a minimum of one year, after pleading guilty before Judge David Sims to first-degree sexual abuse. O’Brien, a local tattoo artist, was charged in March when the victim reported to Wheeling police that he inappropriately touched her genitalia without consent during her appointment.

The victim reported the crime immediately and went to the hospital where a sexual assault crimes kit was collected during the investigation, O’Brien admitted to the touching the victim without her consent. O’Brien was remanded to the Department of Corrections following Monday’s hearing to begin serving his sentence.

Also on Monday, Larry Eugene Perry, 38, was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison by Sims. Perry entered a no contest plea to two counts of felony sexual abuse by a custodian involving the sexual abuse of a minor from 2019-22. The victim was under the age of 12 when the sexual abuse occurred. She is still a minor.

The allegations were brought to the attention of law enforcement in 2023 and investigated by Wheeling police detectives. Perry has remained incarcerated since his arrest in late summer 2023.

In addition to their prison sentences, upon release, both defendants will register as lifetime sex offenders and will be placed on supervised release.

“Sometimes these cases get a little protracted while others, like the O’Brien matter, can resolve relatively quickly,” Turak said. “Each result, however long it takes, is a product of the victim’s strength and resolve, despite the difficulty associated with reporting.

“I remain committed toward working with victims and prosecuting sexual assault cases, no matter the age of the victim,” Turak said. “Whether it takes months or years, achieving justice and delivering that to victims is always paramount.”