After less than a day of grand jury proceedings, the father who resided in his daughter's Sarah Lawrence college dorm room was found guilty of sex trafficking, forced labour, tax evasion, and money laundering, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
A man named Lawrence Ray, 62, moved into the college dorm which is a building that serves as lodging and living quarters for large groups of individuals, such as boarding school, high school, college, or university students. He allegedly captivated college students with stories about his wisdom and was found guilty on Wednesday of exploiting the close-knit group by using threats and violence to amass millions of dollars.
According to the statement given by US Attorney Damian Williams in a press release, Larry Ray moved into a dorm room in his daughter's college named, Sarah Lawrence College, a New York liberal arts institution, twelve years ago. When he arrived, he was greeted by a group of acquaintances who seemed to have their entire lives ahead of them. Through violence, threats, and mental abuse, he tried to dominate and destroy their lives for the following decade. According to Williams, "He exploited them. He terrorized them. He tortured them. Let me be very clear. Larry Ray is a predator. An evil man who did evil things." Williams also thanked the victims who spoke in court, noting the verdict wouldn't have been possible without their testimony. He stated, "We are in awe of their bravery in the face of incredible trauma."