St. Paul fire inspector abducted, tried to sexually assault 13-year-old, court documents state

A fire inspector with the St. Paul Fire Department has been charged with kidnapping and trying to sexually assault a 13-year-old girl.

James Allen Thomas, 73, faces one count of kidnapping, attempted second-degree criminal sexual conduct and soliciting a child for sex. He made his first court appearance at 9 a.m. Monday.

According to a criminal complaint, St. Paul police were called to a middle school on a report of criminal sexual conduct on May 21. A 13-year-old told officers that an unknown man said he would give her a ride to school, but first took her to an apartment where he tried to sexually assault her and offered her money for sex.

The girl left home around 7:50 a.m. and realized she had missed the bus. She eventually began walking on the 400 block of Phalen Boulevard to a medical clinic to ask for help getting to school when she encountered a man, later identified as Thomas, who asked her if she needed help. The girl told him she needed a ride to school.

When the girl got into Thomas’ SUV, she noticed he was wearing a dark uniform with a patch on the shirt sleeve and had a radio like a police officer, court documents state. She said she thought he was a security officer.

Thomas brought the girl to an apartment building on the 1100 block of Agate Street and told her to go to the bedroom, where he tried to sexually assault her, according to court documents. He offered her $50 to let him touch her, and then $50 for her to touch him — the girl declined both offers.

Thomas then grabbed the girl’s iPad and asked if she had her location on. The girl responded that she didn’t know and needed to get to school.

While driving the girl to school, Thomas reportedly asked her sexual questions and for her address. The girl gave him her school address instead of her home address.

A school staff member told investigators that she was outside the school and saw the girl get out of a vehicle. The girl was shaking and visibly upset.

The driver of the vehicle introduced himself to the staff member as a “sergeant with the St. Paul Fire Department” and said he picked the girl up and brought her to school. Court documents confirm that Thomas is a fire inspector for the city.

Once Thomas was identified as a suspect, the girl identified him in a photo lineup, court documents state. She was also able to identify the exact apartment Thomas brought her to.

Security footage showed the girl getting into the SUV. Records showed that the vehicle was registered to Thomas. Cell phone data placed Thomas in the area of the clinic around the time of the abduction. Court documents note that the data is consistent with the phone being turned off shortly before the vehicle was seen leaving the parking lot.

Thomas was arrested on Thursday and admitted to seeing the girl and giving her a ride to school. He claimed he first accidentally brought her to an elementary school.

After being told his vehicle tracks where it goes, he admitted he stopped by his apartment on Agate Street, but claimed he needed to lock it and that the girl never got out of the vehicle.

Thomas said he never touched the victim and added that he never asked to sexually assault her.

According to court documents, Thomas denied that it took him 45 minutes to drive 6.5 miles, despite surveillance video and cell phone data stating otherwise. He also denied shutting off his cell phones.

Thomas added that the girl looked to be 10 years old and seemed “scared ****less” when she was with him.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has reached out to the city of St. Paul for a comment and will update this article if one is received.