Ex-Youth Leader Faces More Sex Charges

By Kim Schmidt
The Kearney Hub
December 14, 2013

http://www.kearneyhub.com/news/local/ex-youth-leader-faces-more-sex-charges/article_7c587852-64a3-11e3-bb72-001a4bcf887a.html

KEARNEY — A third victim has come forward alleging a former church youth leader sexually assaulted him as a teenager.

Thomas Anthony Jones, 37, of Kearney was arrested Friday on a Buffalo County warrant charging him with two counts of felony third-degree sexual assault of a child. State law defines third-degree sexual assault of a child as a crime against someone 14 years of age or younger who is subjected to sexual contact and the perpetrator is at least 19 years old.

The alleged incidents involve one victim on two occasions between Sept. 1, 1999, and Nov. 25, 1999.

Jones faces a total of six felony counts of allegedly sexually assaulting boys between 1999 and 2006. The four earlier counts are pending in Buffalo County District Court. Jones has denied the allegations.

Jones is a former volunteer youth leader at Lighthouse Foursquare Church at 3520 Ave. F. However, he hasn’t been a youth leader for several years.

Court records outline the latest set of charges against Jones:

Friday, a Kearney Police Department officer interviewed a man who said Jones allegedly inappropriately touched him between Sept. 1, 1999, and Oct. 15, 1999, at Jones’ Kearney home when the alleged victim was 14.

Jones also is accused of inappropriately touching the same boy on Thanksgiving Day 1999.

Jones was arrested Friday. Late Friday, he was being held at the Buffalo County Jail without bond while waiting to appear before a judge.

If convicted on the latest set of charges, Jones faces up to five years in prison on each charge. If convicted in all six cases, he faces one to 75 years in prison.

Anyone with information in the cases is asked to contact KPD at 237-2104, Crimestoppers at 237-3424 or KPD’s Facebook page.

Contact: kim.schmidt@kearneyhub.com