FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy arrested on charges that he allegedly tried to solicit sex from a teenage girl bonded out of jail on Wednesday.
Jemiah Thomas, 35, has been suspended without pay while the investigation continues. On Wednesday, he appeared in court.
Judge Chris Brown told Thomas that based on the lack of his criminal history, he would set a total bond of $40,000 — $10,000 each for the four felony counts Thomas is facing, which include using a computer to seduce/solicit a child, transmitting information harmful to minors, traveling to meet a child after luring them on a computer and attempted lewd and lascivious/written solicitation of a minor 16-17.
Thomas paid $4,000 in bond to get released from jail on Wednesday. The judge also ordered that he wear an ankle GPS monitoring device.
On Tuesday, Sheriff Gregory Tony spoke about the allegations, saying that Thomas met the 17-year-old victim while he was on duty and responding to a domestic violence call in Pompano Beach.
“In this particular case you have a deputy out here who did nothing more than take advantage,” said Tony.
According to the investigation, Thomas provided his personal cellphone number to the girl and began communicating with her, at one point, telling her that he could be her “personal sheriff that handcuffs you from time to time,” authorities said.
In mid-October, a complaint was made to BSO from the girl’s father regarding Thomas, and detectives began an investigation with the assistance of BSO’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Over the course of nine days, Thomas would engage in text conversations with an undercover detective who Thomas thought was the girl, BSO said.
In those conversations, Thomas indicated his desire to meet with her privately and perform sex acts on her. Thomas is also accused of sending the child a photo of his private parts, according to investigators.
On Sunday, authorities said Thomas engaged the girl in conversation about renting a hotel room to engage in sexual activity.
On Monday, Thomas arrived at a Broward County hotel and advised the girl that he was present and awaiting her arrival, deputies said.
The child, who was an undercover detective, canceled the meeting with Thomas which led to his arrest, according to BSO.
“The arrest of Deputy Jemiah Thomas on these charges is deeply disturbing. One of the most important obligations that law enforcement officers have is to protect our greatest resource, our kids. If these allegations are true, Deputy Thomas broke that trust,” Tony said at a press conference on Tuesday. “As soon as BSO learned of these allegations, we immediately began an investigation which resulted in Deputy Thomas’s arrest just days later. I have made a commitment to transparency and accountability in this organization, and this case shows, once again, that we will hold our employees accountable.”
Thomas was hired by BSO on May 15, 2017.
Attorney Sidney Fleischman, who is representing Thomas, told the judge on Wednesday that his client is a father of four, that he and his wife own a home in Palm Beach County, and that the deputy is looking forward to defending himself.
“He’s a good person, he had a great reputation as a police officer. He’s doing well under the circumstances, he’s looking forward to getting out of jail so we can start working on the case and the family is very supportive of him,” said Fleischman.
The judge ordered that conditions of his bond release would be no contact with any minors except for his own children and family members, he is not allowed to use devices with internet access, and he would have to wear a GPS ankle monitor.
Fleischman said he has four minor children, and he’s been married for seven years.
Fleischman said that since he is not earning an income, he’ll need to find employment.
“He does need to find employment and at least level 2 will allow him to look for work, to get permission from pretrial to be able to work . . .the household when he was working was dependent on two incomes.”