LA photographer William Isaac Thomas is charged with sexual harassment of three models

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A 49-year-old photographer is accused of posing as an expert in the modeling industry. He is accused of sexually harassing three aspiring models in Los Angeles over several years, prosecutors said on Friday.

According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, William Isaac Thomas Jr. is charged with three counts of oral sex, two counts of sodomy with use of force and one count of attempted sodomy on an unconscious or sleeping victim.

The charges come after Los Angeles Police Department detectives said they had identified six men Thomas allegedly attacked and are now searching for other possible victims.

“He preyed on young men by promising them jobs and financial opportunities that he never delivered,” LAPD Detective Brent Hopkins said in a statement. “Once he made them dependent on him, the abuse began. Now that he can no longer harm these victims, hopefully even more people will be able to tell their stories.”

Thomas was extradited to LA after his out-of-state arrest, according to the LAPD. He was arrested on Tuesday.

Prosecutors allege that Thomas sexually abused the first victim – who was 18 at the time – while that person was pursuing a modeling career from 2017 to 2020, and that he sexually abused a second victim until 2023 after establishing a working relationship when that person was 19 to 20 years old.

According to prosecutors, Thomas is also accused of starting a working relationship with a third alleged victim, a then 19-year-old man, in 2022 and sexually abusing him until 2023.

Each of the victims was represented by Thomas during his modeling career, prosecutors said.

“The courage these young survivors have shown in coming forward after enduring this unimaginable trauma and suffering cannot be overstated, and we stand with them in their quest for justice and healing,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. “The alleged actions of Mr. William Thomas Jr. are reprehensible.”

“Using a position of power to prey on vulnerable teenagers is an egregious abuse of power that our society cannot and will not tolerate.”

Thomas is being held on bail of more than $1.5 million and faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison if convicted.

City News Service contributed to this report.