Caleb Ray

Introduction

Caleb Fischer Ray is a 27-year-old Ocala, Florida youth pastor who was arrested and charged after police said he groomed and sexually abused a child he met at the church they both attended, beginning when the victim was nine years old . Ray, who served as a youth pastor for Connection Church in Ocala, is accused of committing sexual acts with the child between the ages of 13 and 17, and detectives say phone records and text messages recovered in the investigation corroborate the victim’s account . After his arrest, Connection Church confirmed he was removed from leadership and stated that he was never ordained and was never a paid employee of the church .

Background Information

Ray’s connection to the victim began at church: according to the arrest report, he first met the child when the victim was nine years old, at the congregation both attended in Ocala . The victim told investigators that Ray groomed them over the course of six years, a period detectives say culminated in sexual contact while the child was between 13 and 17 years of age . Ray served as a youth pastor for Connection Church during this period, a role that kept him in regular contact with the church’s young people .

The victim reported the incidents to law enforcement in August 2026, initiating the Ocala Police Department investigation that ended Ray’s church career .

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

The victim’s report to police in August 2026 detailed years of sexual contact between themselves and Ray, according to the arrest report . Detectives found phone records showing numerous calls between Ray and the victim, as well as text messages in which the two exchanged “I love you” messages — physical corroboration, investigators said, of the relationship the victim described .

Ocala police determined probable cause to arrest Ray for committing sexual acts with a child between the ages of 13 and 17 at the time of the conduct . He was booked into the Marion County Jail on a Thursday in mid-September 2026 on the charge of lewd and lascivious battery and unlawful sexual activity with a minor, and was released after posting a $150,000 bond . The charges are formal accusations; Ray has not been tried, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Public Reaction and Consequences

Connection Church moved quickly once the allegations surfaced, and its public statement laid out the sequence. “When we were made aware of a potential allegation, he was removed until an investigation could be done. Everything was handled through OPD and now and he is no longer in a leadership position. He was not ordained and was never a paid employee,” the church said in a statement provided to TV20 . The statement drew a firm boundary between Ray and the congregation’s ministry, stressing that he had held no ordained office and no paid staff position.

Ocala police took the unusual step of asking the public for help, urging anyone who had inappropriate interactions with Caleb Ray to contact Detective Bessette — a signal that investigators believed there could be additional victims beyond the one who came forward .

Current Status

Ray faces charges of lewd and lascivious battery and unlawful sexual activity with a minor in Marion County, and was released from jail after posting a $150,000 bond pending further court proceedings . He is no longer in any leadership position at Connection Church, per the church’s own statement, and investigators continue to ask potential additional victims to come forward . No trial date or plea has been reported in the sources available for this page.

Impact on Their Career/Life

The arrest and charges ended Ray’s involvement in youth ministry in Ocala. Whatever the eventual outcome of the criminal case, the church has permanently removed him from leadership, and the public appeal for other possible victims keeps the case active months after his booking. For Connection Church, the allegation struck at the trust that anchors a youth ministry: police say the man who led its young people met his alleged victim in the church’s own pews when the child was nine, groomed the child for six years, and abused the trust of a family that believed he was a safe adult .

Sources

• WCJB TV20, “Ocala officers charge youth pastor accused of grooming underage teen” — source