Pastor charged with child molestation dies

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Miami Herald

Pastor charged with child molestation dies
Posted on Sun, Nov. 11, 2007Digg del.icio.us AIM print email
The Associated Press


JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A minister awaiting trial on six counts of capital sexual battery has died, his attorney said.

The Rev. Robert Gray, the former pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Jacksonville, had been hospitalized since mid-October and suffered from a variety of health problems. He was 81.

Attorney David Barksdale, who represented Gray, released a statement saying Gray's family prays that everyone involved in the court cases can find peace and that the family would not comment further on Gray's death.

Gray was arrested in May 2006 and again two months later when more charges surfaced. More than 20 women have come forward with accusations against Gray, but the statute of limitations had expired in most cases.



Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/303912.html

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From an earlier article: Pastor Charged With Capital Sexual Battery Could Face Life In Prison

POSTED: 5:03 pm EDT May 22, 2006
UPDATED: 7:06 am EDT May 23, 2006


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.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/9256298/detail.html



The Rev. Gray

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Rev. didn't offer them just ANY money: he offered them money their moms and dads had faithfully given him in the offerings.

[...of J.Temperance]

1. What a

Sick bastard....and just damn typical that he dies before justice got served on him :mad:

[emilyg]

2. less cost to taxpayers.

[...of J.Temperance]

3. Well

That's one way to look at this creature's death, as a way of saving money.

I do trust though, that the ultimate punishment beyond this earth is being served on this POS....and that he's been cast down into Hell and will now be burning for Eternity.

Not only in life was he committing gross and heinous acts, but he was also Blaspheming by posing as a man of the cloth....so double judgement will have been passed on him by the Lord....and his punishment will have been the ultimate punishment, to suffer in the pits of Hell.

[madmom]

7. not necessarily so.. all he had to do is repent his sins then all is good..

that is one reason I hate organized religion!!:nopity:

[MADem]

4. No chance for victims to sue, though. He died an 'innocent' man, like Ken Lay did.

Wretched as it seems.

A judgment would have enabled victims to sue for civil damages. The victims are denied twice by his death, unfortunately.

[Lochloosa]

6. Miami attorney Adam Horowitz is handling the civil cases

I believe they are still going forward.

[MADem]

8. How can they? The man is "innocent," just like Ken Lay was "innocent."

Justice was denied to the Enron victims by Ken Lay's death. He died 'without a record.' It's not like the OJ Simpson case, where the case was tried, an argument could be made that the jury nullified, and there was a verdict of 'Not Guilty,' and a second civil trial found him 'responsible.'

And moreover, he's dead, so how can he face his accusers in a civil case? That's pretty fundamental, having the right to confront your accusers. They really can't say, "Well, he's dead, let's rake him over the coals." How can he defend himself? He's dead...

It's unfortunate, but I can't see how they prevail, unless they dig him up and play puppet theatre.

[greiner3]

5. I subscribe to the Freedom From Religion Foundation;

Newsletter for other reasons than stated by the OP. However, I now look forward to receiving the quarterly newsletter for the fact that it devotes 2 or more pages to all the 'holy' assholes who are accused, tried, convicted and/or sentenced for sex crimes in every issue. This covers the US and in some instances from around the world. Wrong word, but GREAT reading. If you think that there are a lot of republican sex fiends out there, wait until you read of some of the 50 or so bastards who hide behind religion that grace every issue.

[allisonthegreat]

9. Ugly bastard...deserved to die n/t

[superconnected]

10. See this is what scares me about the accusation of ped

no trial, nothing. The accusation is enough, guilty by accusation. Now the call for blood.

I'm a small woman with 0 chance of ever being accused of being a ped - except on this thread where I'm going to be accused of one instantly for saying this.

The easiest accusation the gov or any political party can make at this point is to call someone a ped. It's the easiest way to remove people from this society. It's a trigger word where there need be no trial. Both Dems and Repukes come together and call for blood. No further questions need answered, just someone to step forward and say - "he molested me 30 years ago". Now if he were to die a violent death, it would be justified.

I'm telling you guys... the gov is going to use the term pedophile for dissenters. People like Michael Moore, Jon Stewart and others that scare them are likely going to be taken out by the ped rhetoric if the current junta gets very many more rights from the bill of rights overturned. They won't need trials.

The repukes have already used the terms terrorists, anti-american and tried to use gay terminology to make people hate the people against them. Ped is ripe for the using.

All it takes is people right here to CONTINUE to turn off their brain and convict the people on emotional response, with no trials, and armed only with the knowlege that they don't need to know more if the person may be a ped.