Man pleads no contest in exposure case

A Salinas man has plead no contest to annoying or molesting a child, and contacting a minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense, both felonies. 34 year old Kevin Rodney Gray also admitted that he had suffered a prior strike conviction for committing lewd acts on a child.

On September 1, 2014, an 8 year old victim was with his mother at the Northridge Mall in Salinas when he had to use the restroom. The mother waited nearby while the boy went inside. Police say Gray was inside a bathroom stall when the boy entered and as the boy washed his hands, Gray asked him how old he was and told him to “come here.” As Gray was speaking to him, Gray was standing up, his pants were down, and the boy could see Gray’s genitals. The boy ran outside to his mother.

Gray came out several minutes later and the boy and his mother observed that Gray was dressed in distinctive attire, including a hoodie, t-shirt and sweatband with Batman logos, and Batman-themed ear plugs or earrings. Gray fled before police arrived, but officers were able to capture his image from mall security video.

Gray turned himself in to the Salinas Police Department the next day.

Gray was on felony probation for a conviction for lewd acts on a child when this latest incident happened. In February 2012, Gray grabbed the buttocks of a 10 year old boy in a Salinas Wal-Mart.

Because of this conviction Gray is subject to lifetime registration as a sex offender. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years and 4 months in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for both cases.