Gregory Scott Ray convicted of multiple sex crimes on children between 2007 and 2018 Friday
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – On Friday, a Santa Maria jury found 57-year-old Gregory Scott Ray guilty of numerous sexual assault charges against eight people between 2007 and 2018.
The jury convicted Ray of the following charges:
- 14 counts of violating PC 288(c)(1)-Lewd and Lascivious Acts
- Four counts of violating PC 286(b)(1)-Sodomy of a Person Under 18
- 13 counts of violating PC 288a(b)(1)-Oral Copulation of a Person Under 18
- Four counts of violating PC 288(a)-Lewd and Lascivious Act Upon a Child
- One count of violating PC 286(c)(2)(c)-Sodomy of a Minor Age 14 or Older by Use of Force
- One count of violating PC 664/289(h)-Attempted Sexual Penetration of a Person Under 18
The jury also found true the special allegation that Ray committed his sex crimes against multiple people under Penal Code sections 667.61(b), (e)(4), and (j)(2) stated the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
Pursuant to Evidence Code section 1108, three additional survivors testified about sexual abuse by Ray that were not part of the charged counts detailed the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
According to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office, Ray met several of the survivors he committed sex crimes against through his sons who attended local schools in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Survivors remember Ray as a chaperone on their elementary school field trips, a coach of their little league baseball team, actively involved with their high school volleyball team, as well as his job as a yearbook distributor shared the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
Ray also used same-sex dating applications, such as Grindr and Adam4Adam, to meet underage boys with his youngest survivors as young as 13 detailed the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
According to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office, an investigation into Ray's crimes was started when one of the victims, only identified as John Doe 1, confided in a friend who reported the crimes to a high school principal who contacted law enforcement.
Ray is currently scheduled for sentencing on Jul. 24, 2024, where he faces a maximum sentence of 39 years followed by 125 years to life detailed the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
