Benton couple face new sex-crime charges

A Benton, Missouri, couple faces new felony sex-crime charges based on a Scott County Sheriff’s Department investigation.

Clayton Counts, 65, faces seven counts of first-degree statutory rape, three counts of forcible rape and three counts of forcible sodomy in addition to felony counts of possession of child pornography and unlawful possession of a firearm from Jan. 27.

Judith Gray, 58, faces three counts of rape and three counts of forcible sodomy in addition to felony possession of child pornography from Jan. 27.

Judith Gray

Scott County sheriff’s deputies have investigated Counts and Gray since January. Officers found a photograph of a child younger than 18 years old in their bedroom when they conducted a search warrant Jan. 26, according to a news release from Scott County sheriff’s deputies.

The victim in the case identified the photograph and told deputies she was raped by Counts several times, according to a news release from Scott County Sheriff’s Department. In some of those cases, Gray would hold the door shut to keep anyone from going inside the bedroom.

Counts was convicted of murder in 1988, according to a news release.

Pertinent address:

Benton, Mo.