A man from Franklin has been handed a lengthy prison sentence for sexually abusing children after a series of disturbing events that stretched over a six-year span. Mark Bray, 52, will serve 30 years behind bars followed by a decade of probation, and is mandated to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life; this comes after he initially faced four charges of child molesting and one charge of sexual misconduct with a minor, according to to FOX59.
The incidents of abuse occurred between 2011 and 2017 in Edinburgh and Greenwood, the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges against Bray in June after the allegations were brought to light though Bray's criminal actions remained hidden and the lives of children remained forever marked until then. Bray pled guilty to two counts of child molesting earlier this year in May, reflecting a confessing closure to part of the proceedings that climaxed this Tuesday with his sentencing hearing, a development detailed by CBS4Indy.
In the wake of the sentence, Deputy Prosecutor Brianna Acker expressed admiration for the young victims, saying, “I am so very proud of our child victims when they step forward and report these horrific experiences so that this won’t happen to another child," in a sentiment that CBS4Indy captured.
With Bray's sentencing, Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner aims to deliver a clear deterrent, emphasizing the grave nature of the crimes by asserting, “Molesting a child is depraved and despicable," he said, “When Mr. Bray gets out of prison, he will be an old man. I hope we’re sending a message to other sickos: when you prey on helpless children you will spend decades in a 10×10 steel cage, eating nothing but prison food. Don’t even think about it,” as reported by FOX59.
