'Tough on crime' ex-GOP district attorney jailed for sexually assaulting and choking woman

A former Republican District Attorney from Pennsylvania has been jailed for sexually assaulting and choking a woman in 2021, reported WPXI on Thursday.

Reports at the time of the attack said Jeffrey Lynn Thomas knew the woman "in a professional capacity" and had made unwelcome advances to her for years. On the day of the attack, he refused to leave her home after she told him to get out before assaulting her.

"Testimony in the trial indicated that Thomas contacted the victim for months and sent inappropriate and unwanted messages and images, officials said," reported Taylor Spirito. "The victim testified that Thomas’s position as District Attorney intimidated her and prevented her from immediately reporting the unwanted contact."

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Thomas was elected to the southwestern Pennsylvania county on a tough-on-crime platform.

According to the report, he was convicted of indecent assault, strangulation, simple assault, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment and criminal trespass and will face two to seven years in prison, as well as join the sex offender registry for 15 years.