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A Florida woman is facing serious charges after she allegedly posed as a child protective services worker in an attempt to abduct a 9-year-old boy from his babysitter’s residence.
Nicole Terry Thomas, 56, has been charged with several offenses, including four counts of attempted kidnapping. Authorities say she repeatedly claimed to be a representative of child protective services and even dialed 911 to request a deputy’s help in removing the boy, along with three other children, from the babysitter’s home. This is according to a statement from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
“In what was probably the only smart thing she said or did that afternoon, Nicole Thomas admitted to detectives that she should have known better,” commented Sheriff Grady Judd regarding her arrest. “She impersonated a government official, threatened to take four children, and went as far as calling 911 to enlist a deputy’s help. It’s clear she didn’t think that one through,” he added.
Nicole Terry Thomas Accused of Posing as Child Services Employee
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Oxygen, Thomas placed a 911 call at 3:22 p.m. on February 13, claiming she was with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and needed law enforcement assistance to remove a 9-year-old from the home. She reportedly told authorities that “people are interfering with the investigation.”
When deputies arrived at the location, Thomas allegedly informed them that she had come to the Lakeland residence of babysitter Nyasia Brooks with the boy’s biological mother to retrieve the child, but Brooks, who was also caring for three other children, refused to comply.
Brooks told officers that the young boy had approached her and told her that someone from DCF was outside with his mother and they were trying to take him. Thomas then knocked on the front door and front window of the residence claiming to be a DCF case manager, who was there to collect the child. When Brooks told him “she was not taking (the victim) anywhere,” Thomas threatened to “remove all of the children from the home” and then walked to the end of the driveway, where she called 911, per the affidavit.
As authorities noted in the report, “at no point did Ms. Thomas present a DCF business card or proof of employment when requested.”
Victim’s Mother Alleges Nicole Thomas Promised to Get Her Life “On Track”
The boy’s biological mother—whom authorities said has been diagnosed with mental disabilities and did not have custody—later told law enforcement officers that she met Thomas through her church. Thomas allegedly told her that she was with DCF and would “be able to assist her in getting her life back on track” by helping her regain custody, according to the affidavit.
After driving the boy’s mother around to look at multiple apartments and group homes where she could live, the pair then went to the babysitter’s residence to collect the child.
According to authorities, the boy’s mother “was under the impression that Ms. Thomas was employed with DCF and was going to help her reunify” with the child.
In her own interview with investigators, Thomas initially continued to insist she was “a case manager” and the issue was “a DCF matter.”
At another point during the interview, per the affidavit, she told investigators that “she should have known better and was thinking with her heart and not her mind.”
Nicole Thomas Had Previous History of Kidnapping
Thomas is now facing four counts of attempted kidnapping, unarmed burglary of an occupied dwelling, criminal action under the color of law, trespassing and misuse of 911, according to the sheriff’s office.
They also noted that Thomas has a prior criminal history that includes “kidnapping, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery, child abuse, numerous frauds, thefts, (and) dealing in stolen property.”
She is being held at the Polk County jail without bond. Her arraignment is scheduled for March 24, according to court records reviewed by Oxygen.
Oxygen reached out to the public defender’s office for additional comment, but did not receive an immediate reply.