TEXARKANA, Texas–A 38-year-old Texarkana man is in Bowie County custody on a charge of indecency with a child in connection with an 11-year-old girl whose mother told police she caught the man in her daughter’s bedroom in the middle of the night.
The girl’s mother called police the night of Nov. 22 after finding Jason Thomas in her daughter’s bedroom, according to a probable cause affidavit filed Monday. The mother reported that after she returned from the rest and got back into bed, Thomas got up to use the restroom.
When Thomas didn’t immediately return, the mother quietly began walking through her home in the 800 block of W. 10th Street to look for him. She allegedly observed Thomas standing over her 11-year-old daughter’s bed as he slowly pulled the blanket off of her. Thomas allegedly put a hand on the girl’s body and began to move it toward her breasts but was stopped by the mother.
Thomas allegedly claimed that he was looking for a puppy, which was in the girl’s brother’s room. Police were unpersuaded by Thomas’ explanation as it seemed unlikely the puppy would have been under the girl’s shirt.
The mother reported that she had become suspicious of Thomas because her children had reported feeling uncomfortable around him, including another daughter and a 17-year-old son who allegedly told police Thomas told him inappropriate, sexually oriented jokes and had slapped him on the rear end.
Thomas faces two to ten years in prison if convicted of indecency with a child.
He is currently being held in the Bowie County jail with bail set at $50,000.
The case has been assigned to Fifth District Judge Bill Miller.