August 23, 2023: Cecil County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Charged with Misconduct in Office, Witness Retaliation, Revenge Porn, and Related Offenses

Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III announced today that a former Cecil County Sheriff’s Office Deputy, Kyle L. Thomas, has been charged by criminal information with Misconduct in Office, Witness Retaliation, Visual Surveillance with Prurient Intent, Revenge Porn, and Distribution of Obscene Material.

According to the charging document, Deputy Thomas, who served as a Cecil County Sheriff’s Deputy from February 2021 until July 2023, took an explicit video of himself while on duty and sent it to a woman identified as “VICTIM 1”. After VICTIM 1 notified the Sheriff’s Office about Deputy Thomas’s behavior, Deputy Thomas contacted VICTIM 1’s place of business, and filed criminal charges against VICTIM 1 for, among other things, providing the video of Deputy Thomas to the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office. The charges against VICTIM 1 were dismissed by the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The charging document further alleges that during Deputy Thomas’s sexual relationship with another woman, identified as “VICTIM 2,” Deputy Thomas took photos and videos of VICTIM 2 engaged in sexual acts without her consent.  It is alleged that when VICTIM 2 attempted to end her relationship with Deputy Thomas, he threatened to send the photos and videos of VICTIM 2 to other individuals or post them online. Deputy Thomas also sent videos of himself and VICTIM 2 engaged in sexual acts to dozens of different social media users, and paid some of the users to watch the videos. VICTIM 2 did not know that Deputy Thomas took all the videos, and did not give Deputy Thomas consent to distribute the videos.

After Deputy Thomas was ordered by the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office to have no contact with VICTIM 2, the charging document alleges that he continued to contact her in person, through text message, and on different social media applications. After receiving a copy of a search warrant affidavit that contained VICTIM 2’s statements, Deputy Thomas sent VICTIM 2 a message containing a photo of the affidavit accompanied by expletives.

“Honesty and integrity is essential among our law enforcement officers,” said Howard. “We will continue to investigate and, where appropriate, charge, individuals who engage in behavior that undermines the values of the offices they hold.”

All individuals who are charged with a criminal offense are presumed to be innocent.

A copy of the charging document can be found HERE.