State Attorney Bill Eddins announced that John David Thomas, Jr. was sentenced on October 14, 2014, to life in state prison without parole. Thomas was convicted on May 7, 2014 of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation.
On March 6, 2013, the victim reported Thomas had come into her room and touched her inappropriately. Thomas had been staying with the family for several days because he had recently moved to the area from Texas and had no place to stay. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office investigated the incident and arrested Thomas on a warrant on July 4, 2013. During the trial Thomas testified he had come to Florida because there were no women in Texas.
Assistant State Attorney Cassandra Andres prosecuted the case.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Thomas sentenced to life without parole