The conviction represented the man's second strike under the three-strikes legislation, which will mean he serves the entire 12 months' imprisonment imposed by Judge David Robinson.
The victim was interviewed by police in June last year, only days after she told her mother she had been touched.
She described sleeping on a chair in the lounge while Perry lay on the couch beside her.
Sexual harm - Where to get help If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111. If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7: • Call 0800 044 334 • Text 4334 • Email support@safetotalk.nz • For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nz Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list. If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault.
In July — days after he groped the sleeping child — Perry sent the victim a barrage of abuse, first telling her to commit suicide then threatening her daughter.
"I like little kids can I come and fiddle your kids I'm a kid fiddler," the defendant wrote.
He continued: "I might just come up with a gun and kill them all like David Gray did down in Aramoana."
Added to the three counts of intimidation, Perry also chalked up convictions for offering to supply the class B drug Ritalin and the class C opioid Tramadol to various associates.
The defendant initially claimed others had been using his phone but later pleaded guilty to the charges.