By Lisa Trigg
TERRE HAUTE — A former West Terre Haute educator accused of attempting to seduce a student has received an 18-month suspended prison sentence in a plea agreement accepted Monday in Vigo Superior Court 3.
Former teacher and coach Thomas P. Thornton will spend the next three years on formal probation, and must serve 100 hours of community service, according to terms of the plea agreement reached with Vigo County Prosecutor Terry Modesitt.
Thornton pleaded guilty to intimidation, a class-D felony.
He also agreed not to apply for any teaching license or certification, and to have no contact with the victim or Vigo County School Corp. property, and follow any counseling recommendations made in an evaluation for a treatment program.
Modesitt said the plea agreement gives the victim closure and allows her to move on.
“The victim is in agreement with the plea. The school corporation is in agreement with the plea,” Modesitt told the Tribune-Star. “It gives the victim closure on this, and she really wanted to hear him say in court what he had done. Plus, it was one of those cases where it was her word against his word, and there were some people who doubted her word on this. So, it just confirmed that what she had said was correct all along, and he really had done all these things.”
The original criminal charges filed in the case were child seduction and attempted child seduction, both class-D felonies, and public indecency, a class-A misdemeanor. During Monday’s plea hearing, Thornton admitted to exposing himself to a 17-year-old female student at West Vigo High School, and fondling and rubbing up against her on separate occasions. He also allegedly asked her not to tell anyone about the instances. The victim has since graduated from high school.
Upon completion of the community service hours and being released from counseling, the agreement allows Thornton’s formal probation to be converted to informal probation. If he successfully completes all terms of his probation, the conviction shall be converted to a class-A misdemeanor.
Lisa Trigg can be reached at (812) 231-4254 or lisa.trigg@tribstar.com.
