John Doe No. 3, now an adult, said that when he was underage he viewed Gregory Scott Ray as a trusted adult in the Santa Ynez Valley, not a sexual predator. 

“I was wrong,” the survivor told a judge Monday in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria.

In June, a jury convicted Ray, a 58-year-old former Buellton resident, of multiple charges related to inappropriate sexual encounters with underage boys, leading Judge Kristy Imel to sentence Ray to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Ray has been in custody since his April 2019 arrest that led to this year’s trial for crimes against eight boys, then 13 to 17 years old, with incidents taking place between 2008 and 2019.

Ray, a high school yearbook salesman, met the boy via Grindr and around the Lompoc and Santa Ynez valleys. Encounters also occurred at hotels in Anaheim and Fresno County. 

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office began its investigation after a Santa Ynez Valley Union High School teacher overheard a conversation involving Ray and reported it to school administrators.

While the trial involved eight victims, investigators identified encounters with as many as 14 underage boys.

As the trial began, Ray faced 38 felony counts, including lewd and lascivious acts, oral copulation of a person under age 18, along with sodomy involving people of varying ages and one count of sexual penetration of a person under 18. 

Judge Imel sentenced Ray to a determinate sentence of 22 years and four months in prison followed by an indeterminate sentence of 50 years to life. 

She noted the dichotomy of letters describing Ray as a great person compared to evidence showing him being a predator.

However, the judge added that it was shocking to read Ray’s statements in a report from probation officers, with Imel saying, “You did not appear to take any responsibility.”

During victim impact statements, they shared about the long-lasting damage done by Ray’s actions. 

“The defendant must be held accountable for the trauma he caused,” John Doe No. 3 said. 

Survivors of Ray shared how the encounters affected their future relationships plus other aspects of their lives years later. One shared about fear upon seeing someone at the grocery store who looks like Ray, adding that the “trauma of meeting him lingers through every avenue of life.”

John Doe No. 1 said encounters with Ray at ages 15 and 17 robbed him of his innocence. He learned later the defendant was older than the boy’s parents.

A mom also shared her disbelief and sadness upon learning what had happened to her son. 

“We’re hopeful this predator will no longer be able to harm again,” the emotional mother said. 

Deputy District Attorney Lindsey Bittner urged the judge to impose a longer sentence, noting that the defendant repeatedly said in jail phone calls after his conviction, “We just got a bad jury.”

Five jurors attended Monday afternoon’s sentencing hearing. 

Bittner pushed for separate 25-years-to-life sentences for the worst offenses. 

“Your honor, he shouldn’t get a volume discount. This isn’t Costco,” Bittner said. 

Defense attorney Michael Scott disagreed, saying his client recognizes he will never be free unless an appeal succeeds.

Scott also said his client’s comments about a bad jury stemmed from disappointment over being convicted. 

The defense had argued throughout the trial that Ray believed all of the boys were over the age of 18 when the encounters occurred since that’s required for members of the apps they used.

Bittner noted the bravery of those who testified about their encounters with Ray and spoke about the impact the crimes had on their lives. 

“These people are the epitome of survivors,” Bittner said, noting that the case stood out among those she has prosecuted during her 15-year career.

In addition to the prison sentence, the judge ordered Ray to pay assorted fines, register as a sex offender, submit a DNA sample and undergo testing for HIV/AIDS.