Casper Man Accused of Sexually Abusing Girl

A Casper man denied that he locked himself in an apartment with a girl, born in 2010, and sexually abused her in October.

Phillip G.  Thompson, 35, pleaded not guilty to related charges in Natrona County District Court Thursday morning. Though she did not explicitly read the charges, information Judge Catherine Wilking read matched the description of first-, second- and third-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

First-degree sexual abuse of a minor is punishable by a minimum of 25 years in prison.

According to a heavily redacted affidavit of probable cause, a Casper police detective was assigned to investigate a child sexual abuse case in October.

The affidavit says the detective learned that the girl's mother and Thompson were arguing Oct. 2. Thompson had been drinking heavily at the time. At roughly 11 p.m., the woman stepped outside to take a phone call.

When the woman tried to go back into the apartment roughly 20 minutes later, Thompson had locked the door. Court documents are unclear on who let the woman back in the apartment roughly 30 minutes later.

The next morning, the woman noticed the alleged victim was extremely anxious, the affidavit says.

On Oct. 3, the girl underwent an emergency interview at the Children's Advocacy Project in Casper. The girl had a pleasant demeanor with the interviewer until the topic turned to the alleged abuse. Then she became "reserved, shy and played with her hair" and said she could not remember, the affidavit says.

Thompson met with a police detective on Oct. 4. He allegedly told the detective that he knew exactly why the interview was taking place but denied sexually abusing the girl, according to the affidavit.

However, the affidavit says when the detective told Thompson that DNA had been collected from the girl's clothing, he became nervous to the point of tears and admitted to the assault.

Court documents say he then described performing a sex act on the girl to the detective.

A trial date has not yet been set. Thompson remains jailed.