HANCOCK COUNTY – Patrick L. Thompson stood at the defense table and fought back tears when the word “guilty” was read again and again by the judge on each count of rape, sexual misconduct, battery and providing alcohol to minors charges.
The jury, comprised of five men and seven women, deliberated for two and a half hours Thursday afternoon after hearing three days of testimony before finding Thompson guilty on all 13 counts.
Thompson, 42, 8900 block of Rawles Avenue, Indianapolis, is the former New Palestine man who lived in the county when officials arrested him for rape and sexual misconduct crimes against an underage girl from an incident in January 2021.
The 13 crimes Thompson faced included five different Level 3 felony counts of rape, five Level 4 felony counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, as well as two misdemeanor charges of furnishing alcohol to a minor and a misdemeanor charge of battery resulting in bodily injury. The most serious charge, the Level 3 rape, carries up to 16 years in prison for each count.
Officials said that Thompson, who was 39 at the time of the incident, raped and committed sexual misconduct against his son’s friend, a 15-year-old girl, after the two teens had stopped by the house in New Palestine on New Year’s Day evening, 2021.
According to a probable cause affidavit and courtroom testimony, on Jan. 2, 2021, officers from the New Palestine Police Department investigated a report of sexual assault that had occurred the night before at a home on West Stonehaven Lane in New Palestine.
The report and testimony noted a girl who was under 16 had gone with a male friend to the residence, where Thompson supplied them with numerous alcoholic drinks. Thompson was accused of sexually assaulting the girl, first on a couch and then in a bedroom. Thompson is also accused of choking and slapping the girl. The girl and Thompson’s son eventually were able to escape the house through a window in another bedroom, they said during the trial.
The state’s case was handled by Hancock County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Aimee Herring, along with Deputy Prosecutor Abigail Jessup. Thompson was defended by Indianapolis attorney John Razumich. The case was heard in Superior Court 1, except for Monday, when it was heard in circuit court due to space availability. Senior Judge Daniel L. Pflum presided over the case.
The trial officially wrapped testimony late Wednesday while closing arguments and jury instructions were completed first thing Thursday morning. The jury took over the case for deliberations at approximately 11 a.m. They wrapped around 1:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon.
During closing arguments, Herring told the jury she wanted them to convict Thompson on all 13 counts and felt the state had clearly proved his guilt.
“The assault started on the couch. He then took her to his room, closed the door and locked it, told her to take off her clothes,” Herring said. “He knew what he was doing … He had already slapped her and grabbed her by the throat.”
Herring also pointed to one of the main witnesses in the case, Thompson’s son and the victim’s best friend, as having a particularly alarming time dealing with the situation. Herring noted how conflicted he must have been.
“He saw his father assaulting his best friend,” Herring said.
Razumich noted during his closing statement that his client thought the girl was 16 — of legal age and therefore was not guilty of sexual misconduct. While the attorney admitted Thompson was guilty of providing the two juveniles alcohol, Razumich said his client should be found innocent of the rape, sexual misconduct, and battery charges.
“It was consensual,” he said referring to the sexual encounter Thompson had with the girl.
During the trial, the victim noted she did not recognize the man who raped her that night when Thompson was sitting only 10 feet away from her at the defense table. However, Thompson’s son noted he had taken the victim to the house for the first time ever with his father being there. Evidence also indicated Thompson was the only adult at the resident that night when the teens arrived. Plus, Thompson’s attorney admitted in opening arguments his client had sex with the girl, but did so because he thought she was 16, the legal age of consent in Indiana. That statement contradicted an earlier police interview when Thompson said he did not remember what happened that night.
Following the verdict, Thompson was immediately handcuffed and taken to the Hancock County Jail by law enforcement. He will remain there until he is sentenced at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, July 6.
After the jury left the room, Herring hugged her prosecutorial team, including New Palestine Police officer Jessy Walley, who investigated the case and sat at the defense table throughout the trial. Herring then walked across the courtroom and hugged the victim, who was surrounded by family, friends and officials from the prosecutor’s office.
