Pastor won't face his accusers - Suspect in child molestation cases dies at age 81

The Florida Times-Union ^ | 11/11/2007 | MATT GALNOR

[Alex Murphy]

The Rev. Robert Gray, the former Trinity Baptist Church pastor awaiting trial on child molestation charges, died Saturday, according to his attorney. He was 81.

Gray had been hospitalized since mid-October and suffered from a variety of health problems. An exact cause of death was not available Saturday.

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 passing.

This month, a judge ruled Gray was too ill to stand trial Tuesday on six counts of capital sexual battery. The charges involved four women who say Gray sexually abused them when they were children in the 1970s. At the time, Gray led the Westside church and its school, Trinity Christian Academy.

One of Gray's accusers, whose case was not part of the criminal charges because the statute of limitations had expired, said Gray's death before a trial angered her.

"I wanted him to have to get in the hot seat and answer questions," she said. "I wanted it to be on the record so everyone knew what he did."

The woman is not being identified because the Times-Union does not name victims of sexual abuse without their permission.

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 in most cases the statute of limitations had expired....

-snip-

...The rapid growth Gray oversaw put the church in financial trouble, and Trinity declared bankruptcy in 1977, with debts of more than $4.2 million. The Rev. Tom Messer, who succeeded Gray, said the church paid off its debts dollar for dollar.

[MrEdd]

It is appointed man once to die: after that the judgment.

[Coleus]

2 Trinity Baptist Lawsuits Dismissed

 

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Two different judges recently agreed that despite the disturbing nature of the child molestation charges against a former Jacksonville pastor, the lawsuits filed in two cases came too late. Two lawsuits filed against Dr. Robert Gray's former church, Trinity Baptist Church on the Westside, were dismissed.  Gray was arrested in May 2006 on charges of sexually abusing children in his church in the 1960s and 1970s. He was faced with six counts of capital sexual battery involving four women.

Although the former pastor died last month before standing trial, the civil suits filed in the cases continued.  However, two of the alleged victims have been told they no longer have the right to sue.  Circuit Judges Peter Fryefield and Charles Mitchell ruled that the women failed to meet a four-year statute of limitations and that each knew her abuser, the Florida Times-Union reported. Mitchell ruled on Oct. 23 and Fryefield's order was filed Thursday.  Generally, the law is that once you know or should know upon responsible investigation who caused the harm then your right to sue begins and the clock is ticking," said legal expert Ed Birk.

The attorney in the cases tried to slow the ticking clock by saying Trinity was hiding information about abuse, but Fryefield and Mitchell both said that was not the case and the church did nothing to prevent the alleged victims from coming forward sooner.  In one of the lawsuits, Mitchell said as awful as the allegations are, there is no legal basis to resurrect her claims.  The women's lawyer, Adam Horowitz, said Monday that he would appeal.

"Fortunately, the court of appeals is going to have the last word on this. We do intend to file an appeal," Horowitz told Channel 4 by phone. "Trinity Baptist Church did not win these cases on the merits. They won because according to the judge, the claim was not brought to court in a timely matter."  Similar decisions are pending in other cases that were filed by women who claim they were sexually abused as children by Gray.  Trinity attorney Edward Trent said he has similar motions pending with three other Jacksonville judges.

The current pastor of Trinity Baptist, Tom Messer, issued the following statement after the recent developments: "Despite the rumors and allegation. I did not cover up this situation. Every time I talked with someone regarding the issue I have been honest and tried to be helpful. I know today that some of the people that I have tried to help were not satisfied."