Lawrence Ray faces life in prison after being found guilty on all counts in a college sex cult trial

In 2010, Sarah Lawrence College, which is a small college located in New York, gained two new residents into their dorms. One was 50 year old Lawrence Ray, who often went by ‘Larry,’ as well as his college-age daughter.

After finishing a prison stint for securities fraud, Larry decided to join his daughter for her freshman year in her dorm. While there, he impressed young adults with his ‘wisdom.’ Ray claims to have held heavy influence in New York City politics and boasted of derailing the career of former NYC Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, serving as his best man just years earlier. Lawrence was involved in the corruption investigation that ultimately rejected Kerik's bid to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

The summer after his daughter's freshman year a few of her peers agreed to live with Ray in a one-bedroom Manhattan apartment. While living there Larry would accuse the people staying with him of poising him and causing damage to his apartment. He would then threaten the individuals over the next 10 years and force them to repay him exorbitant amounts. One female student he had roped into his scheme went to sex work to repay him. She would send him an installment between $10,000 and $50,000 a week totaling over $2.5 million

Prosecutors claimed Ray used threats, violence, and video-taped confessions in order to tighten his hold on the college students. He would force individuals to do landscaping work at his father's retirement home in North Carolina. The abuse culminated in his sexual assault of the women that owed him money. In 2018, the woman who gave him proceeds from her sex work was repeatedly abused while tied naked to a chair, berated, and choked while a bag was forced over her head, causing her to fear for his life.

After reviewing the case for 5 hours, the jury decided to find Larry guilty on all counts. Ray was brought on charges including racketeering, conspiracy, forced labor, sex trafficking, and obstruction of justice. The charges he was given, carry a sentence up to the remainder of his sad pathetic life in prison.

WHAT WOULD YOU GIVE HIM?

SOURCES:

NYPOST

Jury finds Larry Ray guilty on all counts in Sarah Lawrence sex cult trial

NPR

A dad who moved in to his daughter's dorm room is convicted of abusing her friends