Bond reduction denied for Arias

Reduced bond for a former law officer jailed on multiple sex charges has been denied.

On Dec. 23 Coffee County District Judge Josh Wilson denied a bond reduction request from Tomas Antonio Arias Jr. who has been jailed since Oct. 16 in connection with multiple sex charges involving children under the age of 12.

Arias, 35, of Enterprise has been in the Houston County Jail since his arrest on 14 felony charges including parents or guardians permitting children to engage in production of obscene matter, production of obscene matter containing visual depiction of person under 17 years of age, first-degree sodomy and sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old.

Bond for Arias was first set by Wilson at a virtual 72-hour first appearance Oct. 19 held via internet due to COVID-19 constraints. Bond was set at $60,000 for each of the eight Class A Felony charges and at $30,000 for each of the six Class B felony charges.

Arias is charged with six counts of sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old, five counts of producing pornography with a minor and three counts of parents or guardians permitting children to engage in production of obscene matter.

At the virtual bond reduction hearing Dec. 21 Arias’ attorney Raynor Clifton asked Wilson to reduce the amount of bond, which had been set at the maximum amount, telling the court that Arias is not a flight risk and has no prior criminal record.

“The nature of these offenses,” is reason to keep bond at the maximum amount, Twelfth Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorney Mary Catherine Head countered.

Noting that “the nature of these offenses” gave him concern about Arias’ flight risk, Wilson reiterated that should Arias make bond he would be forbidden from leaving the state and was forbidden from directly or indirectly contacting the victims or the family of those caring for the victims. “The court finds that the nature of the offenses charged, those being sexual in nature and allegedly involving the production of pornography depicting minors and sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years of age and the likely sentence should the defendant be convicted of one or more of the 14 offenses, gives rise to the risk of nonappearance,” Wilson said in his ruling. “Furthermore, the nature of the offenses charged, one or more involving sexual violence towards a minor child, the court finds that the defendant being at large will pose a real and present danger to others or to the public at large.”

At a press conference held Friday, Oct. 16, in Enterprise City Hall, Enterprise Interim Police Chief Michael Moore said that Arias, a field training officer who has served with the EPD since 2007, had been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation after the initial allegations were made and has since been terminated.

Moore said Arias was immediately removed from duty and that on Oct. 8, at the completion of the police internal investigation, he was terminated and arrested Oct. 16.