Image Credit: Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office & Canva
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
A Lookout Mountain man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for taking young boys across state lines for the purpose of committing child sex crimes nearly 25 years ago.
72-year-old James Coleman Thompson pled guilty back in September to four counts of transportation of a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in sexual activity as part of a plea bargain.
The case involved three victims who were transported from Lookout Mountain to other states by Thompson and were then raped or molested.
The Chattanoogan reports that the 240-month sentence was handed down by District Court Judge Travis McDonough. Thompson was also assessed a $250,000 fine and given three years of supervised released after he serves his sentence. Additionally, he will be required to register as a sex offender.
Testimony from two of the victims detailed the sexual abuse inflicted by Coleman, saying they were scared to speak up out of fear for the safety of their families.
One of them said it was “horrific to see him out at public functions” as if nothing had occurred.
During the sentencing hearing, Thompson told the judge that he had been sexually abused by three different individuals when he was a child. He said it first occurred when he was 12, again when he was around 13, and again around the age of 18.
He also talked about what it had been like for him in jail since “the FBI came and got me out of my garden.” He spoke of being threatened by other inmates and said that he had seen three overdoses and another inmate hanging himself. He also mentioned the lack of pillows and mattresses in jail.
Judge McDonough noted that the majority of Thompson’s remarks were focused on himself rather than his victims and stated, “Nobody cares that your pillow is too soft and your mattress is too thin.”
Thompson’s attorney Lee Davis stated that Thompson had already been punished by his wife divorcing him and his children abandoning him. He also noted that Thompson had taken responsibility for his actions, confessing to the crimes as soon as he was questioned by the FBI.
Thompson also quoted a Bible verse as he mentioned confessing his sins to an Episcopalian priest.
McDonough responded, “You treated these young men like garbage. Until you accept that, I’d be a little more careful about quoting scripture.”
Prosecutor James Brooks said the intention with the lengthy sentence was to ensure that Thompson was never released from prison. He will be 92 if he serves the full sentence.
