Elton Desmond Thomas, a 45-year-old Twin Rivers Unified School District employee and former Sacramento church elder, was arrested in Sacramento in October 2025 on three felony counts involving a minor. He worked as a family and community liaison for the district and had previously held a leadership role at Gospel Center Church of God in Christ. Both institutions have since distanced themselves from him.1The Sacramento Bee. Twin Rivers USD Employee Arrested on Felony Charges Involving Minor
The Charges and Court Status
Thomas was booked at the Sacramento County Main Jail on or around October 21, 2025, following an investigation by the Sacramento Police Department. He faces three felony counts: sodomy with a minor, oral copulation with a minor, and committing a lewd act on a child aged 14 or 15 by someone at least 10 years older than the victim.1The Sacramento Bee. Twin Rivers USD Employee Arrested on Felony Charges Involving Minor
He was arraigned in Sacramento Superior Court on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, and remained in custody the following day. Court records showed a bail review hearing set for October 28, 2025.1The Sacramento Bee. Twin Rivers USD Employee Arrested on Felony Charges Involving Minor Whether bail was ultimately set or denied has not been reported.
Thomas has not been convicted. The charges are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
His Job at Twin Rivers Unified School District
Thomas’s title with the district was family and community liaison. State compensation records confirm he held the role in 2022 and 2023, and he was listed with the same title in a district flier the following year.1The Sacramento Bee. Twin Rivers USD Employee Arrested on Felony Charges Involving Minor
After the arrest, the district placed him on administrative leave. In a written statement to The Sacramento Bee, Twin Rivers Unified said it was “aware that an employee has been arrested by the Sacramento Police Department” and added that “based on information currently available, there is no indication that the arrest is connected to our district.” The district referred further questions to Sacramento police and did not respond to media inquiries about his job duties or work location.1The Sacramento Bee. Twin Rivers USD Employee Arrested on Felony Charges Involving Minor
His Removal From Gospel Center COGIC
Thomas had held the title of Elder at Gospel Center Church of God in Christ in Sacramento.2Gospel Center COGIC. Sermons In an October 23, 2025 statement, the church said it had already removed him from “all positions of leadership and ministry” more than a year before his arrest, citing “moral failures inconsistent with our church’s doctrine and code of conduct.”3Gospel Center COGIC. Announcements
Church leadership said it had only recently learned of the criminal charges and described the congregation as “deeply grieved” by the allegations. The statement pointed to a “zero-tolerance policy toward misconduct, abuse, or any behavior that compromises the safety of others” and said the church had “no reason to believe these charges are related to our church or any of its ministries.”3Gospel Center COGIC. Announcements
The church did not explain what the earlier “moral failures” involved or whether they related to the conduct behind the criminal charges.
What Police Have Said
The Sacramento Police Department described the matter as an “active law enforcement investigation” as of late October 2025. The charging documents reference at least one victim aged 14 or 15, but police have not publicly disclosed the total number of alleged victims or how the investigation began.1The Sacramento Bee. Twin Rivers USD Employee Arrested on Felony Charges Involving Minor No court proceedings beyond the arraignment and the scheduled bail review have been publicly reported.