Trainer Charged With Sexual Assault Of Teenager: Police

ASHBURN, VA —Loudoun County Sheriff's Office detectives arrested a trainer with the Ashburn Elite Track Club for allegedly sexually assaulting a teenage girl during practice. Arnold D. Thomas, 54, of Leesburg was charged Friday night with aggravated sexual battery, taking indecent liberties with a child, and abduction.

The alleged incident occurred Dec. 7 and was reported to the sheriff's office Dec. 9. The suspect was alone with the victim at a facility in Ashburn and conducting training exercises when he allegedly groped the teenager multiple times. Thomas remains held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on no bond.

When the club learned about the incident, Thomas was immediately suspended from the team, Derrick Greene, head coach of the Ashburn Elite Track Club, said in an email to Patch. The team has fully cooperated with law enforcement and will continue to do so through the investigation, according to Greene.

"The safety and well-being of all athletes is our top priority and all coaches have successfully passed a background check," he said. "We regret that [this] incident has occurred and are working on getting this matter resolved as soon as possible."

Detectives with the sheriff's office Special Victims Unit are trying to determine if Thomas may have had further inappropriate contact with other juveniles associated with his work as a trainer. The sheriff's office is asking residents with any information about Thomas, or if they believe they were a victim to contact Sgt. Wayne Promisel at 703-777-1021.