Ray v. State

Richard Ray appeals from the judgment and order, following a bench trial, committing him to the custody of the Department of Mental Health (DMH) as a sexually violent predator (SVP). Ray argues that the probate court erred in finding that he was an SVP because he did not commit a "sexually violent offense" as defined by Missouri's Sexually Violent Predator Act (SVPA) §§ 632.480-632.513.1 Specifically, Ray argues that the elements of the Illinois offenses on which the probate court predicated its finding that Ray had committed a "sexually violent offense" are not substantially similar to an…