Lang
12/2/23
A Louisa County man has been sentenced to a decade in prison after his conviction on charges that he had inappropriate contact with an Iowa City teenager.
Judge Jason Burns handed down the maximum sentence of four two-year terms and two one-year terms earlier this week for 53-year-old Lance Thomas of Columbus Junction. The terms will be served consecutively.
A jury reached a guilty verdict in the case in September. Thomas was accused of having inappropriate contact on multiple occasions in 2021 with a girl who was between the ages of 13 and 15. The victim told investigators that on different occasions Thomas would inappropriately touch her, and on some occasions climb into bed with her. Witnesses reported seeing Thomas in bed with the girl on multiple occasions, and the girl’s mother reported that on one occasion she pulled the sheets off and noticed Thomas was semi-erect when she grabbed his groin.
As part of his sentence, Thomas will also appear on the Iowa Sex Offender Registry for the next ten years.