Man arrested in sexual assault against children

Cameron Thomas, 27, was arrested on one count of first-degree kidnapping, six counts of sexual assault with a victim younger than 14, three counts of lewdness with a minor and attempted lewdness with a minor under 14. He is being held at the Clark County Detention Center without bail pending a court appearance today.

Thomas, who lives in Las Vegas, is accused of abusing the girls, now ages 9 and 11, starting when each was about 5 years old. The girls, who now live in Phoenix, knew Thomas because he was a family friend and also worked at a day care center they attended.

Thomas worked at Kids R Kids Day Care, 2830 S. Cimarron Road, from January 2005 to March 2010.

According to a Las Vegas police report, the girls told Phoenix police that Thomas molested them in cars, bedrooms of various homes, in cars while running errands and while swimming with them in pools.

They said that he tried to molest them in a storage room at Kids R Kids but that each time they were able to escape him.

He also was employed by The Bright Child Learning Center, 8060 Blue Diamond Road, from March to December .

Las Vegas police Lt. Robert DuVall said investigators are not aware of any other victims but are asking anyone with information about Thomas to contact them.

"We’re reaching out in the off-chance that there are more cases out there that need to come to our attention," he said.

According to a police report, Thomas performed various sex acts on both girls and repeatedly raped one between the spring of 2004 and last spring. The family moved to Phoenix last January.

The case was a joint investigation involving the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Detail and the Phoenix Police Department, which began investigating after a tip from child welfare officials and which later notified authorities in Nevada.

The children’s parents told Phoenix police that they had known Thomas for years — one since childhood — and that Thomas would lavish the girls with expensive Christmas and birthday gifts while being much less generous with their other children.

Those children told police they were not molested.

The parents also said Thomas would "request" that the children stay overnight at his home, and they often allowed them to do so.

After being contacted by Arizona Child Protective Services, Thomas called the mother of the girls and asked her what was up, police said.

After being told that the parents believed the girls’ account, Thomas reportedly responded, "Well, then, it is what it is.”

Anyone who thinks Thomas might have been in contact with their children is asked to call Detective Zachary Johnson at 702-828-3421.

Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283.