SARASOTA COUNTY — It was a mix of personal history, a message to his parents and a plea to the court — an hour of confession by convicted child sex offender Shawn Connelly Gray. The former JAG officer stood before 12th Circuit Judge Charles Roberts Tuesday at the Sarasota County Justice Center and asked for forgiveness, saying that he had already suffered enough, his life has been destroyed by the decisions he made.

Roberts, taking much of the story into consideration, sentenced Gray to 12 years in prison anyway, calling his crimes “extremely egregious.” Gray, who showed emotion and regret during his statement, barely emoted as Roberts handed down his sentence and he was led out of court by bailiffs.