Press Release
The Office of State Attorney Larry Basford announces that on July 1, 2021, a Bay County Jury found Thomas King guilty of Capital Sexual Battery on a Victim Under the Age of 12. Evidence presented at trial proved that King had been having sex with the victim from ages 9-11. King was like a grandparent to the child involved and a family friend. The disclosure of the abuse occurred after the mother saw the child accessing a cell phone with inappropriate content. The mother then reviewed her in-home surveillance, which captured the defendant calling the victim into a bedroom and performing sexual acts on the victim outside of the camera’s view. The jury deliberated for 30 minutes before returning with a verdict.
The Defendant was immediately sentenced to Life in prison without the possibility of parole by Senior Circuit Judge Dedee Costello. He was also designated a sexual predator.
The case was investigated by the Panama City Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Peter Overstreet and Dustin Miller.
For additional information, contact State Attorney Larry Basford.