San Angelo Man Indicted for Drug Fueled Assault of a Child

SAN ANGELO— A San Angelo man has been indicted for drugging and sexually abusing a child in 2018.

In December 2023, Thomas Thornton, 34, was indicted by a Tom Green County grand jury for Sexual Assault of a Child that allegedly occurred in 2018 when the girl was under the age of 18.

According to court documents, on September 11, 2023, San Antonio Police Office Christian Benavides responded to the San Antonio Police Department for a report of sexual assault of a child. The officer’s reported retold the horrific acts alleged by the victim against Thornton.

The victim said that Thornton would give her meth while her sister was in and out of the hospital and that while she was under the influence of the drug, he would sexually abuse her. He did this numerous times over a six month to one year period. The victim then said she made a report with the San Angelo Police Department but, due to a someone close with her pleading not to say anything, she did not report the sexual abuse.

On September 20, 2023, the victim was interviewed where she said the Thornton offered to massage her then told her to remove her clothes. As he was massaging her, he began to take her clothes off for her and then sexually assaulted her. She claimed that it occurred several times and that she was under the influence of meth. The victim and Thornton would smoke meth for days at a time and that is when the assaults took place.

The victim gave three dates in mid-to-late 2018 as dates she was abused on. A San Angelo investigator confirmed these dates with the victim again on October 10, 2023.

Then, on October 25, 2023, a family member said that he knew about the assault and filed a police report with the San Angelo Police Department. He was also concerned about the amount of time Thornton was spending with the victim and that she should not be alone with him.

An attempt to interview Thornton was made but he refused to speak with anyone about the incidents.

Thornton was arrested and booked into the Tom Green County Jail on November 26, 2023, for Sexual Assault of a Child and was indicted on three separate charges of Sexual Assault of a Child. He is in jail being held on $200,000 bond.