Los Angeles police are asking for the public's help in locating witnesses and possible victims in the case of a Hollywood photographer accused of sexually assaulting three young aspiring models.
William Isaac Thomas Jr., 49, represented himself as an industry expert to young men and after they hired him as their agent, he “forced them to submit to coerced sexual assault,” according to an LAPD statement.
The district attorney's office charged Thomas in May with a half-dozen felonies, including sodomy, in connection with three men, who were between 18 and 20 years old at the time. Los Angeles police said Friday that detectives have identified three other clients Thomas allegedly assaulted and believe he is “responsible for additional unreported sexual assaults.”
Thomas was arrested out of state and extradited to Los Angeles, where he was booked into jail Wednesday, police said. He is being held on $1.5 million bail and could not be reached for comment. The charges carry a possible sentence of life in prison.
The investigation into Thomas began in March 2023 when an 18-year-old man reported being “sexually assaulted” at the photographer's residence, according to a press release from the Los Angeles Police Department. Sex crimes detectives found additional evidence suggesting Thomas had assaulted other youths between the ages of 17 and 21 and threatened to ruin their careers if they protested, police said.
The alleged assaults occurred between 2017 and last year, according to the prosecutor's office.
“He preyed on young people by promising them jobs and economic opportunities that he never delivered,” Los Angeles Police Department Detective Brent Hopkins said in a statement. “Once he made them dependent on him, the abuse began.”
Posting a photo of Thomas after his arrest, the detective said: “Now that he can no longer harm these victims, I hope more people will be able to tell their story.”
