Rhea County authorities are holding a local man on a $1 million bond after charging him with sex crimes involving a child under age 13 after the suspect allegedly fled the state to Indiana to avoid charges contained in an indictment.
Adam Dewayne Thomas, 46, who had identification showing him to be a resident of Dayton, Tennessee, is charged with three counts of rape of a child stemming from allegations of abuse going back to the spring of 2021, according to Rhea County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Rocky Potter. Each charge carries a possible sentence of 15 to 60 years in prison and a fine up to $50,000 under Tennessee law.
“The abuse started in May 2021,” Potter said Tuesday in a phone interview.
The investigation began in Dayton after the alleged victim told a family member what happened, Potter said.
Thomas is believed to have gained access to the alleged victim through a relationship he had with a family member of hers, the detective said.