JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) is seeking possible victims of a self-proclaimed child molester who admitted to his actions amidst the Human Right Ordinance meeting Tuesday night.
Roy Bay told the City Council he routinely molested children and has never been arrested.
“I lived most of my life sexually assaulting kids and never went to jail. Because why? Kids believed me that hey this is, you’re alright son. This is not a problem. Okay? This happens in homosexual lifestyle,” Bay said.
As a result of Bay’s statements, the JSO Special Assault Unit launched an investigation. Information developed during the investigation indicates there are possibly sex crime victims from the Jacksonville area related to Bay’s statements.
Possible victims may include white males who were between 10 and 18 years of age at the time. Authorities said Bay may have acted alone or with another adult white male. Further indications are that these events may have occurred as long ago as 1980.
Bay frequented Memorial Park, the Riverside area and the Murray Hill area of Jacksonville, but additional areas are a possibility as well.
News4Jax visited Bay’s house Friday night where a handwritten note was posted on the door. It was a warning for members of the media to leave, or be arrested.
While no one at the home had anything to say, a post on Bay’s Facebook page reads:
‘Hey Facebook friends and family. I love each and every one of you and appreciate your prayer and support. If someone contacts you about me, I am asking you not to talk to them at all about anything. This is my problem and I will handle it. Thanks I appreciate your love and prayer support in this time of trial and testing.’
When Bay made his statement the meeting nearly stopped. He was speaking against the ordinance saying homosexuals don’t need the protection.
Bay said he was molesting kids in restrooms most of his life, he’s never been charged with a crime and there is no record he ever did it. He walked out of the meeting and went home in a church van with others.
During the meeting Bay only gave his name and not his address, which is required, but he was still allowed to speak.
News4Jax researched Bay’s prior criminal history and found he was arrested in 2007 for driving with a suspended or revoked license. In 2008, he was again arrested for driving with a suspended or revoked license and for civil contempt. Most recently he was arrested for an out-of-county warrant. All those arrests were made by JSO, and the last arrest led to an address for a house on the Westside owned by the Evangel Temple.
News4Jax also found records that indicated Bay got married at the church in 2003. Bay was unable to be reached Tuesday night.
Pastor Gary Wiggins Evangel Temple said he was shocked about what was said last night. Wiggins said Bay had worked several years as a maintenance man but that job ended since September and that Bay and his wife still lived on the property.
“We had no knowledge of his claims he made before the City Council until last night. In response to his [Bay] claims the church is taking appropriate actions to safeguard the families and children of our congregation,” Wiggins said. “We encourage and want the police to do a full investigation serving justice as appropriate.”
Wiggins told the congregation Wednesday night the church’s doors are open anyone and with that comes people who are broken and many times turn to the church for help. The congregation prayed over the Bay situation.
After Wednesday night’s service at Evangel Temple, Wiggins told the congregation about what happened at the City Council Meeting.
The church did not allow cameras inside the service. Wiggins did mention there are no background checks for those walking into service, but there are for leaders and that there are times when people, who have made mistakes, come into the church to be healed.
While it was hard to tell church members about Bay’s public comment on Tuesday night, the response of prayer and forgiveness could be felt throughout the sanctuary.
The church is allowing Bay in services, but with conditions. Wiggins said detectives have already been on site, but they are taking their own steps to protect the congregation.
“Part of that is going to be restricting any contact possible contact with children and young people. He will be allowed to come to the church service and seated in an appropriate spot which will be watched by our security,” Wiggins said.
News4Jax Crime and Safety Analyst Gil Smith said since there is no evidence of a crime at this time, no arrest can be made.
“They will need to pull him aside and get his information and write an information report and probably have it forwarded to either sex crimes or even two offender tracking units,” Smith said.
Both sides were discussing the HRO issue at the meeting last night. Some people think Bay was specifically planted there to interrupt an important issue.
Dan Merkan supports changing HRO.
“I'm going to say it's a real common tactic of those who oppose LGBT rights to link together people who are LGBT with sex crimes and pedophilia,” Merkan said. “It's a tactic they've tried for decades; it's unacceptable, it's vile, it's disgusting.”
Wiggins said this is not true and had they known, they would have asked Bay not to talk.