Wheatland Pastor Accused of Child Sex Abuse Pleads Not Guilty

By Rob Parsons
The Appeal-Democrat
May 9, 2013

http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/pastor-125107-gray-sexual.html

A Wheatland pastor pleaded not guilty on Thursday to 16 felony counts of sexual child abuse in connection with a year-long sexual relationship with a teenage girl.

If convicted on all charges, Brian Clay Gray faces up to 11 years and three months in state prison and must register as a sex offender, said Shiloh Sorbello, deputy Yuba County district attorney.

Judge Julia L. Scrogin appointed the Yuba County Public Defender's Office to represent the minister, though Gray said he hopes to retain his own attorney.

"My sister is working on that for me," Gray told the judge.

The 51-year-old pastor of the Anchor Baptist Church was arrested early Wednesday after his wife's brother — a police officer in Kansas — reported the abuse to the Yuba County Sheriff's Department.

Two days before his arrest, numerous parishioners confronted Gray about his behavior with the Nicolaus teenager, the Sheriff's Department said.

Public Defender Brian Davis entered not guilty pleas on Gray's behalf.

Davis declined to say why Gray pleaded not guilty after reportedly admitting the abuse to the Sheriff's Department.

Prosecutors said it is standard legal practice for defendants to enter not-guilty pleas during their first arraignment.

"It's very common," Sorbello acknowledged. "In cases of this type, it's almost unheard of for a defendant to plead guilty at their first court appearance."

City records indicate Gray established his small storefront church on Front Street in 2008.

Gray appeared in court wearing shackles and an orange jail-issued sweat suit.

Scrogin set bail at $100,000 and ordered Gray back into court on Wednesday.

The judge also ordered Gray not to contact the girl and to stay at least 100 yards away from the teenager.

Filed Thursday afternoon in Yuba County Superior Court, the criminal complaint charges Gray with nine counts of unlawful sex, six counts of lewd and lascivious acts and one count of unlawful communication with a minor.

"Gray admitted to engaging in consensual sexual intercourse and oral copulation with the juvenile at a Wheatland church," a probable cause statement says.

The abuse began in late January 2012 when the girl was 15 years old, continued until at least the end of March of this year. Encounters happened at the church, at church-related events and during private meetings at a Super 8 Motel in Sacramento, according to the complaint.

The victim is now 16, authorities said.

Prosecutors charged Gray for six sexual incidents over at least 16 months, saying multiple laws were broken during each incident.