PHOENIX – Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced a judge sentenced Mark Edward Ray to 19 years in prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Ray will be placed on lifetime probation and will also be required to register as a sex offender after serving his prison sentence. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jay Adleman handed down Ray’s sentence saying the “evidence was overwhelming,” and the circumstances of the crimes were “unusually aggravated.”
In March 2016, Ray admitted to possessing images of child pornography and pled guilty to charges of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Special Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) launched an investigation in 2014 after identifying Ray as an online trader in child pornography. Investigators also discovered Ray worked as a Scoutmaster with a local Boy Scout troop. After conducting a thorough investigation, HSI Special Agents say they have no reason to believe the victims depicted in the child pornography were Boy Scouts.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office and HSI encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through a toll-free tip line at 1 (866) DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial (802) 872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY (802) 872-6196. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1(800)THE-LOST.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Lawson prosecuted this case.
For additional information, members of the media may contact Mia Garcia, Director of Media Relations at (602) 339-5895 or [email protected].