Former Bishop Carroll House Parent Sentenced for Sexual Assault
By Jocelyn Brumbaugh
A former house parent for international students at Bishop Carroll Catholic High School was sentenced to be under the supervision of probation for the next 11 years, 11 months and register under Megan’s Law for the next 25 years for sexual assault charges filed last August. Charges against John Bowman Thornberry, 29, of Mills River, North Carolina, were announced by then-Attorney General Kathleen Kane last July. He was originally charged with one count each of institutional sexual assault, criminal attempt at sexual assault, attempted indecent assault, indecent assault, corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of a child. Investigators said the alleged incidents warranting the charges occurred while Thornberry was a house parent in a dorm-style residence hall for students at Bishop Carroll between December 2014 and February 2015. Ebensburg police officers responded in February soon after the initial allegation was disclosed to the school’s international program director. The case was then turned over to the state Attorney General’s Office following a referral from Cambria County District Attorney Kelly Callihan. A police affidavit said one student told a forensic interviewer at the Cambria County Child Advocacy Center that Thornberry “specifically directed him to an area of the residence having no video cameras” before putting his hand in the students’ pants and grabbing him. A second student said Thornberry tried to put his hands down his pants, but the student was able to fight off the advance. That student later transferred to another school. During an interview with investigators, Thornberry denied touching students in a sexual manner, but said he did tickle some of the boys in the ribcage area to “break the ice.” After his arrest, Thornberry was prohibited from having access to Bishop Carroll’s campus, events, personnel or activities not on school grounds. School administrators said Thornberry was placed on unpaid suspension and removed from campus immediately following the allegation and was not permitted to return. On March 28, Thornberry pleaded guilty to one count of institutional sexual assault and one count of criminal attempt at institutional sexual assault. Thornberry was also ordered at that time to undergo assessment by the state’s Sexual Offenders Assessment Board, which determined he does not qualify as a sexually violent predator. Cambria County President Judge Norman Krumenacker III asked Thornberry if he had anything he wished to say prior to sentencing. “No, thank you,” Thornberry said. Thornberry’s attorney, Paul Jubas, pointed to his client’s lack of criminal, mental health and substance abuse history as reason to give him credit for the time he’s spent in the Cambria County Prison since Aug. 12. Daniel Dye, a prosecutor from the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, asked Krumenacker to consider a lengthy period of supervision with specific guidelines limiting Thornberry’s interaction with minors. Krumenacker’s sentence gave Thornberry automatic parole from the Cambria County Prison, which will be followed by 11 years, 11 months of probationary supervision. In addition, Krumenacker ordered Thornberry to pay $2,000 in fines and follow conditions that include no contact with minors, not coming or living within 500 feet of places minors congregate such as schools, playgrounds, parks and day cares, completing a sexual offender rehabilitation program and other stipulations. Contact: jbrumbaugh@tribdem.com
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