TEENAGER PLEADS GUILTY TO RAPING WOMAN AT GUNPOINT ON BIKE TRAIL

Posted on 11/3/2020

Defendant: Desmond Lee Thomas

Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien said, “This mother was pushing her child in a stroller on a bike trail when she was approached from behind by an unknown teenager with a gun who robbed and raped her.”  Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced today that Desmond Lee Thomas, age 16 at the time of the incident, has plead guilty to the April 12^th, 2019 sexual assault at gunpoint of a woman who was pushing her child in a stroller on the Camp Chase bike trail on the west side of Columbus.  Thomas plead guilty to one count  of Rape (F-1) and to one count of Aggravated Robbery (F-1), both counts having Firearm Specifications, and to one count of Kidnapping (F-1).  Thomas will be required to register as a Tier 3 sex offender as well as being on the Violent Offender Registry when he is sentenced at a later date by Judge Jeffrey Brown.  Thomas faces a maximum sentence of 33 years in prison.