May 22, 2006

Sex Charges Surprise Some Church Members; Others Say 'It Was Coming'

JACKSONVILLE (FL)
News4Jax

POSTED: 11:19 pm EDT May 21, 2006

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A retired Baptist minister remained in jail without bond Sunday as his former congregation attended services that made no mention of his arrest or the accusations that he sexually molested children decades ago.

Robert Gray was arrested Friday night and charged with capital sexual battery on two 6-year-old girls -- now women in their 30s -- when they were students at Trinity Baptist Church's school.

According to his arrest report, several other women also allege abuse by Gray.

Gray, 80, resigned in 1992 after nearly 40 years as pastor of Trinity Baptist on Hammond Boulevard and president of an affiliated college he founded.

A woman identifying herself as one of Gray's victims told Channel 4's Nancy Rubin on Sunday that the number of complaints will continue to rise as word of his arrest gets out.

Posted by kshaw at May 22, 2006 07:28 AM