News4Jax
May 23, 2006
http://www.news4jax.com/news/9256298/detail.html
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A former pastor of a church on Jacksonville's Westside -- who was recently referred to as a great hero of the faith -- remains behind bars and at the center of a sexual battery investigation.
Police arrested 80-year-old Dr. Robert Gray on Friday evening. The former Trinity Baptist Church of Jacksonville pastor was charged with two counts of capital sexual battery after two of his alleged victims reported they were only 6 years old when Gray abused them.
Two women, currently in their 30s, told police Gray molested them in his office at Trinity Christian School on the Westside. They claimed Gray would then offer them money and candy.
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| The Rev. Bob Gray preaching at Berean Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, N.C., two months ago. |
"These charges are based on acts that happened a number of years ago, but a capital sexual battery has no statute of limitations," said Libby Senterfitt of the State Attorney's Office. "Such a charge can be brought anytime."
According to a four-page police report, two alleged victims have come forward, but investigators have also been in contact with six other witnesses who said similar incidents happened to them.
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| Jacksonville Sheriff's Office booking photo of Robert Gray |
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.
Gray was the pastor of Trinity Baptist on Hammond Boulevard for nearly 40 years and the president of an affiliated college he founded. According to sources and Web sites, after his retirement from Trinity in 1992, Gray remained active in revivals and Bible conferences across America.
An attorney for the Trinity Baptist, David Gibb III, said the church has hired a law firm with attorneys experienced in criminal prosecutions and sex crime cases to do an independent investigation of the accusations against Gray.
The church released a statement Monday saying, "Attorney Richard Smith and Ed Trent met with the lead prosecutor at the State Attorney's Office regarding this matter. They have been assured that neither the church nor Pastor Messer is a subject of any criminal investigation. The church has pledged its full cooperation with the state's investigation into this matter. The church's independent investigation is ongoing."
Investigators said they have been looking into the case for more than a week.
"We always want to encourage victims, whether it happened a number of years ago, we want to encourage victims to come forward," Senterfitt said.
Gray remains in jail without bond. If convicted, Gray could face life in prison.
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