A San José teacher was arrested and charged with the sexual assault of a minor, the San José Police Department reported this week. The suspect is 56-year-old Shawn Thomas of Los Gatos, California, who allegedly committed the crime more than two decades ago.
The authorities were called to investigate on March 8 after a delayed report was made regarding an incident believed to have taken place between 2002 and 2003 quickly. Detectives from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force of the San José Police Department led the investigation. It was discovered that Thomas was employed as a teacher at Leigh High School during the time of the alleged assault, and the victim was a student there.
According to official reports, Thomas was still working in education, teaching at Leigh High School, and coaching football and track and field at Los Gatos High School at the time of his arrest on March 22. The San José Police Department took Thomas into custody, and he was subsequently booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail for charges of rape and sexual assault of a minor.
The police are continuing to reach out to the community in their investigation. They urge anyone with information related to this case or similar cases to come forward and provide details. "Anyone with information about this case or similar cases is asked to contact Detective Camarillo #4576 of the San José Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force," the department stated in a press release. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through various channels made available by the authorities.
The San José Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force can be contacted via email or phone, and the public is also encouraged to submit anonymous crime tips using the P3TIPS mobile app or by contacting the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers. According to the police, those whose information directly leads to an arrest may even be eligible for a cash reward from the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers Program.
