Jurors: Stillman Valley man still a ‘sexually dangerous person’

OREGON – It took an Ogle County jury only 15 minutes Wednesday to determine that a 75-year-old Stillman Valley man still is a sexually dangerous person and should remain in prison.

The 7-woman, 5-man jury ruled against Ray Allen Gough’s arguments that he is no longer sexually dangerous because of his “self control” and “self discipline” while being held in custody since 1999.

Instead, jurors concurred with a psychologist who testified Gough had a “pedophilic disorder” with a proclivity for pre-pubescent males and had refused to undergo any treatment for the mental disorder during his many years of imprisonment.

“This is a straightforward case,” Ogle County State’s Attorney Mike Rock told the jurors in his opening statement. “The defendant has already been adjudicated to be a sexually dangerous person. You are here to determine if the state has proven that he remains sexually dangerous or if he has recovered.”

Rock said Gough has never participated in counseling or treatment programs for sex offenders while imprisoned at Big Muddy Correctional Center in Ina, Illinois, 331 miles south of Ogle County.

“He [Gough] has refused to do anything while he has been incarcerated as a sex offender,” said Rock. “Despite his condition, he refuses to do anything. He is not interested in programs designed to reduce his risk to reoffend.

“The defendant has been diagnosed with pedophilic disorder ... sexually attracted to males,” Rock said. “It is substantially probable that he will commit future acts if he is not confined in a secure structure. This defendant remains a sexually dangerous person.”

Gough was charged in 1997 with the aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a 6-year-old male. He pleaded guilty to that charge and was sentenced to 3 years probation and 180 days in jail.

Then, in October 1999, he was charged with four counts of the aggravated criminal sexual abuse of two boys, ages 7 and 12.

He pleaded not guilty to those charges, but the Ogle County State’s Attorney’s Office – then under the direction of Doug Floski – petitioned the court to commit Gaugh as a sexually dangerous person through a civil action under Illinois’ Sexually Dangerous Persons Act.

Under that act, sexually dangerous persons are defined as a person suffering from a mental disorder that has existed for a period of not less than one year, coupled with “criminal propensities to the commission of sex offenses” and “acts of sexual assault or acts of sexual molestation of children.”

An Ogle County jury determined Gough was sexually dangerous in November 2000 and he was sentenced to prison until he is deemed to not be sexually dangerous.

He petitioned the court to reconsider that decision and in November 2024 a jury trial was held and he was again found to be sexually dangerous.

Gough served as his own attorney during this trial, often referring to himself in the third person. He told jurors that he was “truly sorry” and “remorseful” for his crimes and had been incarcerated for more than 24 years.

“No fantasies, no sex ... sober, sober, sober and celibate, celibate, celibate,” he said, crediting his “self control” and “self discipline.”

Gough claimed former defense attorneys and prosecutors, as well as all other court officials, had all sabotaged and conspired against his efforts for release.

“This is my second application for discharge. The taxpayers deserve all of Gough’s evidence. Gough may not be very good at law, but at least he is honest.”

Lee County Judge Matthew T. Klahn admonished Gough many times during the course of the trial after he made statements that were not tied to evidence or were outside the scope of the trial.

Klahn also warned Gough that he would hold him in contempt of court if he continued to make personal attacks against Rock, witnesses or any other court officials.

“I will hold you in contempt,” Klahn told Gough. “If you were a lawyer you’d already be going away in handcuffs for insulting the court ... not me as a person, the institution. Stop insulting everyone.”

Two prosecution witnesses, Sarah Brown-Foiles, manager of sex offender services for the Illinois Department of Corrections, and Kristopher Claunch, a psychologist, both testified that Gough had refused to participate in treatments available for sex offenders.

Claunch, a psychologist who specializes in sexually dangerous persons cases, works for Wexford Health Services, the private company contracted by the IDOC that provides evaluations of sexual offenders.

Claunch said he evaluated Gough in 2021 and 2025 after reviewing police reports, court records and making attempts at interviews. He said Gough was unwilling to answer most questions posed to him during interviews.

Claunch said Gough characterized questions directed to his past as “60-year-old” or “antique” questions.

“Since 1999 he has not participated in any sex offender treatment,” said Claunch, adding that the treatments were designed to help offenders control their “thoughts and fantasies” so they did not offend again.

“He [Gough] did nothing. He was unwilling to answer any questions about treatment. He would not discuss psychiatric conditions or mental health,” Claunch said.

Claunch diagnosed Gough as having a pedophilic disorder, which is a mental disorder characterized by an inability to control sexual fantasies, directed at young boys. He said in addition to the three boys Gough was charged with sexually abusing, two others, although older, also came forward, alleging sexual abuse encounters.

Claunch said Gough likely would reoffend if released. “He believes the world is against him,” Claunch said. “He responds with hostilities when people try and work with him.

“Mr. Gough remains a sexually dangerous person who is likely to reoffend if not confined,” Claunch said.

Under cross examination, Claunch said Gough’s claim that he had not had sex while in prison was not applicable since his proclivity was for young boys.

“There are no children who have access to you in prison,” Claunch told Gough.

Gough accused Claunch of asking questions to “entrap” him and questioned the validity and accuracy of data and authors of that data that Claunch provided as his basis for diagnoses and treatments for sex offenders.

“None of the questions I ask are for entrapment,” responded Claunch.

Gough called himself as his only witness. “I hurt a lot of people. I am truly sorry. I am no longer a sexually dangerous person,” he told the jury.

But Gough then attempted to read a preprepared, written statement as his testimony, which was objected to by Rock, who argued his comments were not in response to prosecution witnesses testimony and did not pertain to the case at hand, his status as a sexually dangerous person.

That objection was upheld by Klahn, who again admonished Gough when he accused the court of “kicking his evidence to the curb” claiming that he had “won that battle with emotional control”.

“You just can’t make this into a narrative that you want,” said Klahn.

Gough criticized the IDOC’s sex offender program and claimed he had sent requests to participate in treatments. He also said treatment sessions often were canceled.

“I sent five requests. I was completely ignored,” Gough said, adding that he also has to put up with the “garbage” of transgender inmates dressing in women’s clothing.

As proof of his self control, Gough said he had saved money during his time in prison and had abstained from purchasing “junk food” through the prison’s commissary.

Under questioning by Rock, Gough said he didn’t have to take part in treatment while in prison because: “I don’t have to do it there. I have it in my mind.”

In her closing argument, Assistant State’s Attorney Heather Kruse reiterated that Gough had never taken part in any treatment that was specifically designed to help offenders not commit future crimes.

“He’s done nothing. He never participated. He never started,” Kruse said. “After his incarceration there has been no participation whatsoever. This is bigger than not buying junk for a year. This is about sex offenses of boys. He [Gough] has done nothing to address that, nothing at all. He has not recovered. He remains sexually dangerous. He has the propensity to commit again.”

“That’s quite the spiel,” replied Gough in his closing argument. “I know people who have quit smoking and alcohol without treatment. I do have emotional control despite what anyone thinks.

“The last 24 years I have taken care of myself,” he said. “I don’t know what else I can do to convince you to let me out.”

Rock said Gough’s comments were just a “list of grievances.”

“He refers to his young victims as ‘mistakes,’” Rock said. “He’s ‘cured’ because he’s told you he’s cured. This is an individual with a disorder. He’s still dangerous. He needs to stay in a structured, secure facility. Otherwise others will be at risk.”

Wednesday’s trial was the culmination of Gaugh’s second application seeking release. He can appeal the jury’s decision within 30 days.

“We are very relieved and pleased with the job that the jurors did,” Rock said after the jury’s decision. “This is my third trial involving this defendant. I did the first jury trial where he was declared sexually dangerous, that was back in 2014. I did his recovery petition, a jury trial, three years ago, and now this one.”

“I am pleased, as well. The community will be safer,” Kruse said.

Rock said Gough could apply for release again in two years.