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THURSDAY. JANUARY 13. 2022 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 3A
Ray admits to molesting two
children in Cherokee County
Press Release Blue Ridge
Judicial Circuit District
Attorney
January 7, 2022 - District
Attorney Shannon Wallace
announces that on December
9, 2021 Jasper resident Roy
William Ray, 38, entered a
guilty plea to rape, four
counts of child molestation,
criminal attempt to commit
aggravated child molestation,
and computer pornography.
These charges stem from sex
ual abuse of two children in
separate incidents in 2020
and 2012.
[Editor’s note: A family
member emailed the
Progress and said Ray was
not a resident of Jasper, blit
he did not provide an alter
nate address.]
In October 2020, Chero
kee Sheriff’s Office arrested
Ray for rape and other
charges after a child dis
closed to her grandmother.
During the course of the in-
Photo/Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit
District Attorney
Roy William Ray
vestigation, another relative
disclosed that Ray had raped
and molested her eight years
prior. Both victims were
under the age of 16 at the
time of the crimes.
The victims participated
in separate forensic inter
views at the Anna Crawford
Children’s Center, where
they provided detailed ac
counts of what Ray had done
to them.
“Sexual predators take ad
vantage of vulnerable chil
dren, then threaten them into
silence. This defendant told
the first victim that she would
lose her family and home if
she ever told anyone about
the abuse. She was afraid to
tell authorities what this de
fendant had done to her and,
but for the courage of another
child coming forward, he
would never have been held
accountable for his actions,”
said Assistant District Attor
ney Leyna Pope, who prose
cuted this case on behalf of
the State.
At the conclusion of the
plea hearing, Cherokee
County Chief Judge Ellen
McElyea accepted Ray’s ne
gotiated guilty plea then sen
tenced him to 20 years to
serve without the possibility
of parole, followed by life on
probation. Upon his release
from prison, Ray is prohib
ited from contacting the vic
tims or the victims’ family
members and must adhere to
sex offender special condi
tions.
“This defendant stole the
innocence of two innocent
children, likely causing long
term psychological harm,”
said District Attorney Shan
non Wallace. “We are so
proud of these young victims
for standing up for them
selves and helping ensure
that this predator is now in a
place where he cannot hurt
young children.”
The Office of the District
Attorney for the Blue Ridge
Judicial Circuit is committed
to seeking justice, acting with
integrity, and collaborating
with partner agencies in the
criminal justice system in
order to protect the citizens
of Cherokee County and the
State of Georgia.
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Random tips to
start a New Year
{O’Neill’s column ap
pears twice monthly in the
Progress, generally the first
and third weeks of the
month.}
Let's start the new year off
right with some random sug
gestions that just might make
your outdoor adventures;
fishing, hunting, camping,
trail walking better and more
productive, memorable and
even worthy of repetition.
Hold on tight, this will be
random.
New to a lake, shore or
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Tell him you want to learn,
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Keep a diary and calendar
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and even during your own
trips when successful or not.
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rebuild your memories.
Save newspaper columns of
dated successes where you
most often fish. The authors
rarely write of failures, only
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dously.
Grab a partner and try
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tion to widen your ex
panses. Cajun Vista Lodge
on the Louisiana Coast, Cap
tain Mark Noble for the
Georgia Coast, Mack Farr
and Henry Cowen at Lanier
and the beautiful eastern Ten
nessee lakes, can and should
be new targets for you and
your outdoor buddies or even
children and grand children.
How about hunting
whitetail deer or turkey or
anything else? To under
stand better about deer hunt
ing, join a couple of
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ations.
Quality Deer Manage
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difference here is that fisher
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ingly always want to share.
Hunters are not quite so ver
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Among O’Neill’s tips for
2022 is go somewhere new
to try fishing with a guide. It
makes a fun vacation and
will widen your experiences.
Above O’Neill with a
Gulf Coast Drum.
tion from which you can
glean information to make
you more successful can be a
real diamond.
Finally, I listen every Sat
urday morning on WSB
Radio AM750 or 95.5FM to
"O'Neill Outside", most often
aired live. Many callers who
catalog suggestions and tips
you can use. I warned you
this might be self-serving.
Enjoy our time outdoors in
2022.
O'Neill Williams, born in At
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