Princeton man gets 52 years for sexually abusing child

PRINCETON, Texas - A Collin County jury sentenced a man to 52 years in prison after he was convicted of sexually abusing a child for years.

The Collin County District Attorney’s Office said 41-year-old Princeton resident Joseph Ray was a close friend of the victim’s family.

Joseph Ray (Collin County DA)

He began abusing the child at age 9 and that abuse continued until the child was 13. In 2022, the 14-year-old victim told a family friend what had happened.

Ray would play pornographic videos to teach the victim new sexual acts, saying "That’s what we’re going to do later," according to the DA’s office.

Police also found hundreds of child pornography images on Ray’s phone after he was arrested.

"This child not only endured five years of sexual abuse from someone close to the family, but this abuser also exposed the child to explicit videos and acts that can have a lasting impact on an innocently young and impressionable mind. We hope this child is able to forget those images one day and rest easier knowing he will spend the rest of his natural life in prison," District Attorney Greg Willis said.

Jurors found Ray guilty of the continuous sexual abuse of a child and then gave him a 52-year punishment. By law, he is not eligible for parole.

Ray will be 93 years old by the time he is freed.