An Orange County man, who evaded capture for nearly six months, has been sentenced to 25 years behind bars for sexually assaulting a child — avoiding a possible life sentence.
Kenneth Gray was indicted in Orange County Circuit Court last November for the assault that court records show occurred in 2022. Gray also was initially charged with cruelty to children and object sexual penetration, but those charges were dropped as part of his plea deal.
Gray had moved to Oklahoma by the time authorities were alerted to his crimes in June of 2024. In December, Gray was arrested by the Tulsa Police Department and was extradited back to Orange County, where he confessed to the crimes.
Gray pleaded guilty to object sexual penetration and, as a result of the plea agreement reached in May 2025, will not be prosecuted for the other two charges. In Virginia, object sexual penetration is a felony and can carry a life sentence.
“The Orange County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office facilitated a plea agreement with Gray and his attorney,” the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement issued Wednesday.
Orange County Circuit Court Judge David Franzen sentenced Gray last Monday to 60 years in prison but suspended 35 of those years. As a result, Gray will serve less than half of his total sentence behind bars.
Upon his release, Gray will be required to register as a Tier III sex offender for the remainder of his life. According to the Virginia Sex Offender Registry, Tier III sex offenders have committed the most serious sexual offenses and are considered to pose a significant risk to the public.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com