The Los Angeles Police Department is asking the public to help locate witnesses and potential victims in the case of a Hollywood photographer charged with sexually assaulting three young aspiring models.
According to a statement from the Los Angeles Police Department, suspect William Isaac Thomas Jr., 49, presented himself as an industry expert to young men and “intimidated and coerced them into sexually assaulting” them after they hired him as their agent.
The district attorney’s office charged Thomas in May with six felony counts, including sodomy, in connection with three men who were between the ages of 18 and 20 at the time. The Los Angeles Police Department said Friday that detectives have identified three other clients Thomas allegedly assaulted and believe he is “responsible for unreported sexual assaults.”
Thomas was arrested out of state and transported to Los Angeles where he was taken into custody Wednesday, police said. He is being held on $1.5 million bail and could not be reached for comment. The charges carry a possible life sentence.
According to a Los Angeles Police Department press release, the investigation into Thomas began when an 18-year-old reported being “sexually assaulted” at the photographer’s home in March 2023. Sex crimes detectives found additional evidence indicating Thomas had assaulted other youths between the ages of 17 and 21 and had threatened to ruin their careers if they protested, police said.
The alleged assaults occurred between 2017 and last year, according to the district attorney’s office.
“He would promise young people jobs and financial opportunities but never follow through, preying on them,” LAPD Detective Brent Hopkins said in a statement. “Once they became dependent on him, the abuse began.”
Releasing a photograph of Mr Thomas after his arrest, the detective said: “We hope that now that he can no longer harm his victims, more people will be able to come forward to tell their stories.”