ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. — A former Anne Arundel County teacher will spend 45 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual assault of a minor.
Mark Thoms, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of sex abuse of a minor and one count of sex abuse of a minor, a continuing course of conduct.
According to a press release, this sentence will run concurrent with the former Mary Moss employees’ 30-year sentence from 2021 in which he pled guilty to sex abuse of a minor student. Another sentence of 10 years of active incarceration for two cases in 2020 for second degree assault, sex abuse of a minor and third degree sexual assault will also run concurrent.
“In every facet of his life, the defendant used his power and proximity to the minor victims to sexually abuse them and sadly, no spaces or places where minor victims were located was off limits to the defendant,” said State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess. “As this case concludes and the victims continue to heal from this disturbing abuse, it’s my hope that this additional sentence - coupled with professional resources and support from family and friends - will provide them with some peace. The defendant is no longer a threat to the public safety and I believe he will never be released from prison now with this additional sentence. It’s never easy to talk about or report sexual abuse but if you or someone you know are a victim of this crime, please speak with a trusted adult or call the Sexual Assault Crisis Center and Hotline at 410-222-6800.”
According to court officials, following Thoms' guilty pleas in 2020 and 2021, and learning that Thoms would be serving prison time, the minor victim felt safe enough to confide in an adult that she too had been sexually abused by the defendant.
On June 29, 2021, a caseworker with the Department of Social Services interviewed the victim at the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in Millersville, according to court documents.
During the interview, the minor victim, who was initially very hesitant, disclosed the sexual abuse she suffered from the defendant, who was identified as Mark Thoms.
A report revealed the minor victim stated that the sexual abuse started in 2018 and continued until 2020, ending when the defendant was arrested for sexually abusing a student at a local school where he was a teacher. She described multiple incidents where Thoms touched her and then assaulted her.
According to documents, when the victim first mentioned the abuse, she only told some of the abuse to a trusted adult. Later, when she felt safe with the forensic interviewer at the CAC, she revealed in much greater detail what she had endured. She stated that Thoms tried to force himself on her and the minor victim said, “no, but I had to."
