TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — The California Board of Parole Hearings has denied parole for a convicted sex offender serving a life sentence at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad.
68-year-old Ronald Thomas was given a five-year denial from prosecutors during a hearing on Jan. 23 that was held via a conference.
Thomas, was convicted in May, 2021 of one count of annoying or molesting a child with a prior sex crime conviction, and failure to register a change of address as a sex offender.
The charges are from incidents early in 2019 when Thomas reportedly parked his van at Veterans Park in Porterville and made inappropriate advances toward two girls, ages 13 and 15, who went to the park after school.
The victims reported being whistled at and verbally harassed, prompting police involvement on Feb. 19, 2019.
Prior to the convictions, Thomas served 22 years in prison in Arkansas for sexually abusing four children, ages 5, 6, 11, and 12.
He was released in 2018, and committed the California offenses within a year of his release.
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For his California convictions, Thomas was sentenced to 50 years to life under California’s Three Strikes Law.
Under Proposition 57, Thomas became eligible for a parole hearing because his California conviction is classified as a “non-violent” felony.
During the hearing, parole commissioners determined that Thomas continues to pose an unreasonable risk to public safety.
The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office, which regularly participates in life parole hearings, opposed his release.
Tulare County prosecutors emphasized the ongoing threat Thomas poses to the community and highlighted the importance of protecting children from repeat offenders.
The Board’s decision ensures Thomas will remain in prison for at least another five years, reflecting the careful consideration of both his criminal history and the potential danger to the public.