Grayson conviction holds under appeal

DEXTER, Mo. -- An appeals court has affirmed the July 2013 conviction of Moses Grayson, a former Dexter man sentenced in Dunklin County to 50 years in prison for forcible sodomy and first-degree burglary involving a Dexter woman.

Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver said word came last week the Court of Appeals upheld the conviction.

It came to light after the 2013 sentencing that Grayson had been charged with having two sexual relationships with underage victims when he was 21 years old, with one victim being 13 at the time. Both relationships were alleged to have involved some level of forcible compulsion.

In both of those cases, Grayson had been charged with felony statutory rape and felony endangering the welfare of a child, to which he pleaded guilty and served three years in prison.

Oliver explained after Grayson's sentencing: "Until he's served his term for the forcible rape charge, he won't be eligible to begin serving the burglary sentence."

The forcible rape charge will require Grayson to serve a minimum of 85 percent, or 25 1/2 years. If at that point he is paroled on the first charge, he will begin his second sentence.

He will be required to serve a minimum of 50 percent, possibly as high as 80 percent, of the burglary sentence.

Now 37 years old, Grayson will not be eligible for release until he is at least 71. If he serves the full sentence, he will be 86 at the time of his release.