ROCKLAND – A Warren who sexually assaulted a 4-year-old boy in October was sentenced in Knox County Unified Court May 1.

Brendan Gray, 19, was sentenced to eight years in jail for gross sexual assault. The second count of gross sexual assault and a charge of unlawful sexual contact were dismissed as a result of a plea.

Gray will also be entered on the sex offender registry and be on supervised release for 25 years after his release from jail. He was also ordered to pay $1,716 in restitution.

The victim’s father provided a victim impact statement to the court which stated his “son’s life is full of emotional roller coasters” and that “the abuse will follow him and I can only imagine the impact it is going to have on his life.”

He also said in this statement that having the defendant behind bars will not change what he did.

Gray was arrested by Knox County Sheriff’s Detective Justin Twitchell October 22 after the victim’s father called the Thomaston Police department when his son told him about a sexual assault. Sgt. Tim Hoppe spoke with the father and then contacted Twitchell when he learned that the alleged assault occurred in Warren.

Twitchell interviewed the victim’s parents who said their son told them about sexual encounters with Gray. The detective then interviewed the victim who confirmed the sexual contact with Gray on two different occasions. 

The affidavit filed in court by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, further stated that Twitchell questioned Gray the same day about the incidents and Gray admitted to having sexual contact with the victim. Twitchell arrested Gray and transported him to Knox County Jail in Rockland.

At the time of his arrest in October, Gray was currently free on bail after he plead guilty to a domestic violence assault charge and entered into a deferred disposition agreement for a year if he did not commit another criminal act during the next 12 months.

The state filed a motion to revoke Gray’s bail included in the deferred disposition agreement since he violated a condition of release. Judge Susan Sparaco set Gray’s bail at $25,000 cash for the sexual assault charges. He remained at the Knox County Jail until his sentencing hearing May 1.

Reach Sarah Shepherd at news@penbaypilot.com