Facing a judge on June 1 before jury selection began, Dermon Kenneth Thomas had two options: accept the state’s plea deal of 30 months in prison and 30 months of probation, or, if found guilty at trial, face up to 15 years in prison.
Thomas decided to take his case to a jury. He lost.
Here’s what we know about the trial held June 3 at the Marion County Judicial Center:
Who was the judge? Circuit Judge Peter Brigham.
Lawyers: Defending Thomas were attorneys Logan Doll and Chris Jones from the law firm of Edwards, Jones & Doll. Prosecuting the case was Assistant State Attorney Janine Nixon.
Charges: Travel to meet a minor after use of computer to lure child; use computer to seduce/solicit/lure/child; and unlawful use of two-way communications device to facilitate a felony.
How long was the trial? One day.
How many people were selected for the jury? Seven, five men and two women. One served as an alternate.
Was Thomas out on bond at the time of trial? No. Although he was released from jail on bond in late July 2025, he was re-arrested in December 2025 for failure to appear in court.
About the case: Thomas, 56, of Georgia, was among 40 men arrested during Operation Seek and Ye Shall Find Out in the summer of 2025. They were accused of going online to arrange to meet children for sex.
Opening statements: Prosecutor Nixon told jurors that Thomas used the internet and the phone to commit the crime. The prosecutor explained how law enforcement created the sting and how the men, including Thomas, were arrested.
Defense attorney Doll told jurors that authorities lied about being children. He said his client believed he was meeting an adult fox sexual activity.
The state’s case: Nixon called several witnesses to the stand and concluded her case right after lunch.
The defense case: The defense only had one witness: Thomas himself.
He told the jury he was on his way home to Georgia from Tampa after visiting a friend when he decided to stop in Marion County to rest. He decided to go online to meet someone for sex.
Thomas said he’s familiar with a particular website that caters to adults who meet to have a good time. While on the site, he said, he came across a person who he thought was 19 years old.
He said he requested and received a picture of the individual he was chatting with and wasn’t convinced the person was underage. They continued talking and decided to meet at a business.
The defense attorney asked what he would have done if he had met a teenager at that business. He said he would have left.
Cross-examined by prosecutor Nixon, Thomas admitted going to the meeting location to meet the person for sex. He said he had been talking with the individual.
Closing arguments: Prosecutor Nixon played for the jury a recording of the conversation between Thomas and the person he thought was an adult. The other person, posing as a child, said she was 14 years old. Thomas did not end the call.
Nixon also showed the jury the online chat between Thomas and the other person.
Defense attorney Doll told the jury that law enforcement lied to Thomas and the online profile was a fake. He said authorities were able to bypass certain security measures on the site that would alert anyone on whether the person they’re talking with was genuine.
The jury
One juror, a man, was dismissed since the alternate was not needed. That left four men and two women to deliberate.
Jurors went to the back at 3:35 p.m. At 4:38 p.m., jurors wanted to know if Thomas was ever arrested for similar charges. After speaking with the lawyers, the judge’s answer was that the jury had all the evidence it needed to decide the case.
A second query was posed by jurors at 5:20 p.m. They wanted to listen to the phone call between Thomas and the undercover official. There were four calls. Jurors clarified which call they wanted to hear.
At 5:47 p.m. jurors asked to view the letter Thomas wrote to the girl’s parents after his arrest. They also wanted to know if that letter qualified as a tacit confession. The judge’s response after talking with the attorneys: Jurors had all the evidence they need to make a decision.
According to his arrest report, Thomas wrote a letter to the girl’s mother. In it he mentions that he went to the store and didn’t see her daughter. He said they exchanged phone numbers, he made a mistake talking to her on the phone, and she posted an ad saying she was 19, then 14. He apologized.
At 6:42 p.m., jurors told a bailiff they had reached a verdict: guilty on all three counts. The clerk read the verdict aloud at 6:46 p.m.
The judge ordered a pre-sentencing investigation. Two women who were present in court throughout the trial and sat behind the defense table cried and told Thomas they loved him.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Man in sex sting trial denied knowing girl was 14. Did the jury believe him?
Reporting by Austin L. Miller, Ocala Star-Banner / Ocala Star-Banner
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Austin L. Miller, Ocala Star-Banner | USA TODAY Network
