The Tucson Police Department has arrested a 65-year-old man in connection with the sexual assault of his 14-year-old foster daughter more than two decades after the alleged crimes were first reported.
According to news release from Tucson Police, the case began in 2004 when the Department of Child Safety reported that John "Lincoln" Sperry had sexually assaulted the teen. Detectives investigated the allegations, conducting interviews, serving search warrants and collecting evidence, but the case was eventually closed.
The investigation was revived in 2026 after the victim, now in her 30s, contacted the Tucson Police Department again, the news release said. Detectives with the department's Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit reviewed forensic evidence, conducted additional interviews and submitted the case to the Pima County Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors obtained an arrest warrant charging Sperry with two counts of sexual conduct with a minor.
Investigators learned Sperry was living in Prescott, where he was working as a licensed clinical social worker specializing in sex addiction treatment. Tucson police worked with the Prescott Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service to locate and arrest him on July 8.
Following the arrest, Tucson detectives traveled to Prescott and interviewed Sperry. He was booked into the Yavapai County Detention Center and is awaiting extradition to Pima County.
The investigation remains ongoing.
