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3rd Victim Identified In Contra Costa Child Molestation Case

MARTINEZ (BCN) -- Investigators have identified a third victim in a case involving a Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall counselor accused of molesting young boys and using them to produce child pornography, a prosecutor said Friday.

Deputy District Attorney Dana Filkowski said she filed a motion Friday to amend a criminal complaint against Thomas Jewell, a 53-year-old Pleasant Hill resident, after identifying the third victim earlier this month.

On Jan. 6, Jewell pleaded not guilty to 45 counts of child molestation, two counts of aggravated sexual assault on a child and one count each of possessing and distributing child pornography.

If a judge grants the motion to amend the complaint, Filkowski said Jewell will be charged with a total of 73 felonies.

All but six of those charges are for sexual assault or molestation of a child 15 years old or younger. The remaining charges include one count of possession of child pornography, two counts of using a child to create pornography, two counts of showing pornography to a child and one count of attempting to dissuade a witness from testifying, Filkowski said.

Jewell will also be charged with enhancements for allegedly committing the crimes against multiple victims.

The motion to amend the charges will be heard at Jewell's next court date on Feb. 8 in Contra Costa County Superior Court in Martinez.

According to Filkowski, the alleged molestations began in 2005 and took place in Pleasant Hill, Pittsburg and Antioch.

In a separate case, Jewell is also facing charges in federal court for allegedly producing, possessing and transporting child pornography. His attorney, Deborah Levine, said he has pleaded not guilty to those charges as well.

Pleasant Hill police have said that Jewell was a counselor at juvenile hall and had worked closely with at-risk children throughout Contra Costa County and neighboring counties.

According to the state Board of Behavioral Sciences, Jewell is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist intern. The state Attorney General's office, which oversees the board, has notified the court that they will be seeking to suspend his license.

In the meantime, Jewell is being held without bail in county jail, officials said.

The investigation, which was initiated by Martinez police, included investigators from Pleasant Hill police, Walnut Creek police and the FBI, Filkowski said.

Pleasant Hill police have set up a tip line to gather more information about Jewell and are urging anyone who has been victimized by him or who accepted any gifts or money from him to call (925) 676-1273.

(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)

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