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1 year later, no charges filed against former Goshen School Board President after 'deeply disturbing' video

He admitted on video to driving to Indiana to meet who he thought was an underage girl
John Gray confrontation .jpg
John Gray being detained .jpg
John Gray
Posted at 1:15 PM, Apr 26, 2023
and last updated 2023-04-27 08:35:37-04

GOSHEN, Ohio — It's been one year since Goshen School Board President John Gray resigned after being put in handcuffs following his attempt to meet up with who he thought was an 11-year-old girl, and he isn't facing any charges.

A volunteer based group called "PCM Predator Catchers Munice" posted a Facebook Live video of the April 2022 encounter with Gray outside of a Dollar General in Indiana.

In the video, Gray admits to driving from the Cincinnati area to Farmland, Indiana in Randolph County to cuddle and watch movies with the young girl. It takes about two hours to get to Farmland from Cincinnati.

“I’m not saying it’s cool, but it’s okay if it is to make her feel better," Gray told the volunteers.

That girl was actually an adult decoy who had been messaging Gray. She was one of the people who confronted the former school board president, who resigned shortly after the video was released.

During the confrontation, Gray admitted to telling the girl that she had "kissable lips."

He also admitted to chatting about a fashion show that involved the girl stripping down to her bra and panties. He also said the two discussed Gray massaging her butt.

For more than 30 minutes, Gray tried to explain himself.

“I told her, ‘You’re a minor. We’re not doing any sexual relations,'” Gray said in the video.

Gray said repeatedly, “She’s starving for something.”

Watch the full Facebook live stream here:

Despite admitting to discussing sexual acts with the girl, including rubbing her private parts, he also told the volunteers that nothing sexual would happen because he could not get an erection.

Gray also admits to saying he would divorce his wife and marry the girl when she gets older.

After the confrontation, Gray was put in handcuffs and was questioned by Indiana police, but was not arrested.

A few days later, Goshen police searched his home. Investigators also said he was taken to the hospital for a psychological evaluation.

Police did not tell WCPO the results of that evaluation and did not say what they found inside Gray's home.

Goshen police would not comment on the investigation, and as of this writing, there are no criminal charges filed.

The Randolph County Prosecutor's Office said the case has been pending review since April 23, 2022. The prosecutor's office told WCPO that it has up to 7 years to file charges.

Chad Puterbaugh, an investigator with the Randolph County Sheriff's Office said he believes the FBI in Ohio is investigating Gray.

Todd Lindgren, the public affairs specialist with the FBI's Cincinnati office said the agency could not confirm nor deny that it was investigating John Gray.

A spokeswoman for the PCM Predator Catchers Muncie said the organization is not willing to share any evidence they've gathered on Gray with WCPO because the they want to "ensure prosecution" and do not want to jeopardize any potential cases against Gray.

Shortly after Gray's resignation, Goshen Local Schools called the content of the video "deeply disturbing to our entire school district and Goshen Local School community."

The district's website said Gray lived in Goshen for 33 years with his wife and children. In the video, he said he’s a grandfather now and has served as board president since 2005.

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WCPO attempted to call Gray for a comment but his phone number was disconnected.

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