Molestation Charges Added Against Accused CoCo Youth Counselor
MARTINEZ (BCN) - A Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall counselor who was arrested last month for possession of child pornography was charged Monday with 46 counts of child molestation after investigators identified one of the victims seen in the images, a deputy district attorney said.
Prosecutor Dana Filkowski said police and FBI agents are still investigating the case and expect to be able to identify more victims.
The victim they have identified is a boy between 12 and 15 years old, Filkowski said.
The suspect in the case, 53-year-old Pleasant Hill resident Thomas Jewell, appeared in court in Martinez Monday morning for an arraignment, but did not enter a plea because prosecutors have informed his attorney that they plan to file additional charges against him.
The judge increased his bail from $1 million to $5.8 million because of the new charges.
Jewell had been contracted by Contra Costa Health Services to provide counseling for children in juvenile hall. He also had a private practice and worked with local school districts to provide counseling services.
Police have recovered more than 13,000 pornographic images and videos from hard drives found at his home, Filkowski said.
Two of the 46 counts of child molestation charge Jewell with aggravated sexual assault on a child, which each carry a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in prison, Filkowski said.
He is also facing charges of showing pornographic material to a child, posing a child for the purposes of pornography and possession of child pornography for a total of 49 felony counts, Filkowski said.
Jewell is scheduled to return to court Jan. 6 to enter a plea.
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