Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Christopher Leon McCray, 35, was arrested yesterday and charged with lewd or lascivious molestation of a six-year-old child.

The child reportedly disclosed in a forensic interview at the Child Advocacy Center that McCray had touched his private parts under his clothes when he was in bed at night. The victim said this happened recently and more than once and that McCray told him not to tell anyone and called him a “snitch” when he threatened to tell his mother. The victim said his mother was outside or away from home when the molestation occurred and that McCray regularly babysat the victim and his siblings.

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Post Miranda, McCray reportedly admitted that he regularly babysat the children but denied touching any of the children inappropriately.

McCray has a previous conviction for DUI and successfully completed deferred prosecution on a marijuana possession charge. He was accused of molesting a child between 12 and 16 years of age in 2018, but prosecutors determined that there was not enough evidence to proceed. He was charged with punching another man in 2022, but those charges were later dropped. Bail information is unavailable because of the nature of the offense.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.