Emanuel Gray Sentenced in Cyberstalking, Child Porn Case

Decatur, Georgia native Emanuel Gray, 22, is headed to federal prison for 20 years after being convicted of producing child pornography and cyberstalking two teenage girls he targeted online. The case out of Atlanta reveals a calculated campaign of manipulation, threats, and digital abuse spanning from May 2017 to November 2018, when Gray was arrested and ultimately brought to justice by federal authorities.

According to court records and trial testimony, Gray met both victims through social media apps, including Kik and Snapchat. One girl was just 14 when she began communicating with Gray, believing they were in a brief romantic relationship. When she ended contact, Gray turned vicious—pressuring her to send sexually explicit photos and videos under threat of posting existing images online. He followed through on those threats by uploading explicit material to her high school band’s Facebook page, exposing her to public humiliation.

The second victim, age 16 at the time, endured a near-identical pattern of harassment. Gray bombarded her with threats, created fake Instagram accounts to ‘expose’ her, and posted damaging content on her school’s Facebook page. Both girls testified that Gray directed them to perform sexual acts on camera, including instructing them to masturbate, while recording and collecting the material. When they refused further demands, the threats escalated.

Gray was charged with two counts of producing child pornography, two counts of cyberstalking, and one count of possession of child pornography. After a federal jury found him guilty on July 14, 2021, U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones handed down a 20-year prison sentence, followed by five years of supervised release. Gray will also be required to register as a sex offender upon release.

“Gray stalked and threatened his victims after they rebuffed his demands,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “He terrorized these girls by threatening to post their photographs online if they did not comply. A jury has held Gray accountable for his inexcusable crimes, and he will now serve time in prison.” FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Chris Hacker called the case “disturbing but unfortunately all too common,” urging the public to remain vigilant in online interactions.

The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with support from police departments in Schulenburg, Texas, and Villa Rica, Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex R. Sistla and L. Skye Davis prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide DOJ initiative launched in 2006 to combat online child exploitation. For more information, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.