Child porn producer sentenced

Man admits to exploiting teenage girls; witnesses describe pattern of abuse

Nathan Thomas
Nathan Thomas

A federal judge in Texarkana sentenced a child predator to 30 years in prison Wednesday at the end of a hearing in Texarkana's downtown federal building.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Susan Hickey heard testimony from a number of witnesses regarding Nathan Karl Thomas' sexual, physical and psychological abuse of two teen girls and his obsession with child pornography. Thomas, 25, pleaded guilty in March 2016 to two counts of receipt of child pornography as part of a plea arrangement in the Texarkana Division of the Western District of Arkansas. Hickey sentenced Thomas to 180 months on each count and ordered the terms to run consecutively for a total 360-month, or 30-year sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyra Jenner and Ben Wulff urged Hickey to assess a maximum 40-year sentence while Thomas' lawyer, Federal Public Defender Bruce Eddy, asked for a 10-year term.

"The defendant is an extraordinarily disturbed, deviant sexual offender who is a serial 'hands-on' offender against minors, as evidenced by the PSR's (Pre-Sentence Investigation Report) descriptions of his sexual assaults on minors," states a sentencing memorandum prepared by Jenner. "The defendant seeks victims he can influence and dominate so that they will produce the type of illicit images he requests. The defendant poses a danger to society, specifically, to minors, who are significantly less physically and psychologically capable of recognizing and protecting themselves from the defendant's manipulation and guile."

Witnesses testified that Thomas preyed upon two teen girls when they were 14 and 15. The witnesses gave horrific accounts of bondage, assault, sodomy and more. Thomas coerced the girls into creating pornographic images of themselves by threatening to withdraw his attention and affection.

Thomas repeatedly sent images of young girls being raped to one of the victims and taught her how to find and share child pornography. A New Boston, Texas, woman, Haidy Branson, 26, who is currently serving a 21-year-and-10-month federal sentence for production of child pornography assessed her in 2015 in the Texarkana Division of the Eastern District of Texas, testified that she often shared child pornography with Thomas and that the two had shared a mutual interest in child exploitation and incest since high school.

"They were just like any other teenaged girls looking for acceptance. These girls wanted love, companionship and acceptance," Wulff argued Wednesday. "Their physical scars will heal but they have received a life sentence from the emotional abuse and psychological trauma."

One of the victims testified Tuesday that she now becomes alarmed when she sees a man walking with a child as she fears the child is being sexually abused. Hickey heard victim impact statements Wednesday from the father of one victim and the mother of another.

"Do you know what a failure as a parent I feel like? God trusted me with this angel on Earth and I couldn't protect her from a deviant child predator," Jenner read from the mother's statement. "This man has destroyed her childhood as well as our relationship for many years."

The father who testified struggled to fight tears as he spoke.

"As a 15-year-old, (my daughter) was smart, enthusiastic and talented with her high school future on the brink of becoming outstanding and exceptional," the father said.

After running away one night to meet Thomas, the father said his daughter was never the same.

"Let's be honest. This case will haunt us and my family will suffer because of it for many years to come," the father said.

The father said he was asked to estimate the financial cost of Thomas' abuse of his child. He said he considered the cost of retrieving his daughter from far-away locations after she'd left home without a word, the cost of mental health treatment and medical care.

"When the devil enters your home and lays the foundation of deceit, physical abuse and corruption, what's the cost to drive the evil away; $10,000, $100,000, a million dollars," the father asked. "I was in the military and I served in the middle east on three different occasions. I know what evil looks like and I know what Mr. Thomas is."

Moments before announcing Thomas' sentence, Hickey addressed Thomas.

"Mr. Thomas, you are a predator," Hickey said. "This will follow the victims the rest of their lives and their families' lives. I have no doubt this would have continued and escalated if law enforcement had not become involved."

Hickey mentioned Thomas' age, 21, at the time of his arrest and his lack of criminal history. Despite Hickey's decision to sentence Thomas to 10 years shy of the maximum, Eddy objected and described the sentence as "unreasonable."

There is no parole from a federal prison sentence. Good time in the federal system currently accumulates at 54 days per year. Upon his release from prison Thomas will be supervised by federal officials for a period of 10 years and must register as a sex offender. If he violates the conditions of his supervised release, which includes only accessing the computer or internet with permission, Thomas could be ordered to serve more time behind bars.

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