She was an awkward teen, struggling to fit in and to feel good in her own skin. So in March 2012, for her 12th birthday, she got the perfect gift: a photo shoot with a friend at a local studio specializing in teens.
Looking at the photos afterward, she said, “I was so proud and felt beautiful and cool, which isn’t common in middle school.”
Now those pictures have a very different, and more painful, meaning.
Identified in court only as Minor Victim No. 1, she was among more than half a dozen people to read or submit victim impact statements Wednesday for the sentencing of Jeffrey Gray, former owner of the Wicked Imagery photography studio. Gray pleaded guilty on two federal offenses of placing cameras in dressing and changing rooms that captured undressed photos and videos of dozens of girls and women from 2013 to 2015. The business specifically advertised for young girls, including dance teams, cheerleaders and “teen days.”
Some, like Victim No. 1, became regular models at the studio, and Gray was a major presence in their lives. She described him Wednesday as a mentor, an advocate and almost a family member to her and her mother. It wasn’t until 2023, when police raided Gray’s home and seized a hard drive containing more than 10,000 child pornography files, that she learned about the secret videos he’d taken of her.
“Everything this man has touched in my life will never be the same,” she told U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher. “I struggle to trust anyone now because I trusted Jeff Gray, and that’s a mistake I can’t take back.”
Under a plea agreement with the government, Gray, 62, faced a sentenced of 15 years to 30 years. Locher said that based on the severity of Gray’s actions and his impact on so many people, the appropriate sentence was “the absolute high end of what I can impose,” and sentenced Gray to 30 years in prison and seven years of supervised release.
Women: ‘You took something from me’
Investigators found images from Gray’s studio of dozens of victims, many of whom have not been identified. While many were teens, prosecutor Kyle Essley told Locher one video shows an as-yet-unidentified girl who appears to be about 7.
He also recorded illicit video outside his workplace, starting in 2005 with an underage girlfriend and two of her friends. Later, he did the same with his own family, capturing numerous hidden videos of a minor relative in her own bathroom.
In court Wednesday, that woman said she experienced years of “grooming and abuse” at Gray’s hands. Court filings note she told police in 2013 that Gray was taking inappropriate pictures, but that “nothing ever came of the report.”
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“I’ve become isolated to protect myself from the world, because nobody protected me when I needed it most,” she said.
Other women told the judge they feel paranoia and depression, fear cameras and changing rooms, and feel a deep loss of their ability to trust others, and themselves, when they learned years after the fact what Gray had done.
“The false reality created by someone I trusted makes it difficult to not question the motives of others,” a woman identified as Minor Victim No. 3 said.
Defense sought 15-year sentence
Gray declined to make a statement to the court. His attorney, Aaron Hamrock, told Locher that a 15-year sentence would be sufficient to punish Gray’s conduct and deter other wrongdoers. Hamrock noted Gray’s military experience and history of productive employment, and lack of prior criminal record.
“He’s been a good citizen. Yes, there was a period of time from 2013 to 2015 that brings us here, but there’s no evidence he ever (uploaded the videos online),” Hamrock said.
He also noted that Gray voluntarily stopped the recordings years before his arrest.
Judge cites ‘grave violation of privacy’ in sentencing
Locher, though, said the case presented “as grave a violation of privacy that I can imagine,” and that the women who spoke about the devastation they felt weighed heavily against Gray.
“It’s clear from the victim impact statements just how much trauma he caused,” Locher said. “When you engage in that kind of conduct, that’s the impact you have on members of the community.”
Speaking to the victims, Locher said he appreciates and honors the courage of those who spoke up, even as many said they no longer feel able to trust themselves.
“I understand why you say that, but the people that I saw speak here today showed so much confidence and so much grace,” he said. “I can’t take away your trauma, but I want you to know that I see that, and I’m sure your loved ones see it too.”
William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Wicked Imagery owner sentenced to 30 years for dressing room cameras