By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – A Thatcher man who sexually abused a victim between the ages of 7 to 11, beginning roughly 20 years ago, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison.
On Tuesday, Graham County Superior Court Judge Travis W. Ragland sentenced Thomas Worland, 53, to 17 years in prison on one count of sexual conduct with a minor – a class-2 felony and dangerous crime against a child.
The case was prosecuted by Graham County Attorney L. Scott Bennett.
“These cases that are so old are extremely difficult to investigate and prosecute, but I commend not only those impacted for coming forward, but for law enforcement, who went to such extremes to investigate and put together a case,” Bennett said. “We are profoundly grateful that justice was served, even if it was delayed.”
The charges stemmed from abuse that happened between Jan. 1, 2004, and Dec. 31, 2005, and between Jan. 1, 2006 and Dec. 31, 2006, and between Jan. 1 2008 and Dec. 31, 2008, according to the plea agreement. The abuse reportedly happened at Worley’s residence in Thatcher, as well as on Mount Graham and at a residence in Tucson. The abuse included various forms of sexual acts on a minor under the age of 14.
A Thatcher Police investigation that began in 2020 stalled. Still, the Graham County Sheriff’s Office picked up the case in June 2024, and an investigator interviewed Worley the following month, in which he admitted to the sex acts and said the child initiated them.
When asked why he did it, xxx replied that he was lonely and the victim was giving him attention. Worley said the victim was 8 years old when the sexual contact was initiated.
The sentencing was part of a stipulated plea agreement in which Worland pleaded guilty to the sexual conduct charge as well as three amended counts of attempted sexual conduct with a minor. The plea also dismissed three counts of molestation of a child and another count of sexual conduct with a minor.
In addition to the 17 years in prison, Worland will be placed on lifetime supervised sexual offender probation upon his release, will have to attend and complete all counseling recommended by the probation department, and will pay restitution to the victim for all economic loss listed in a Graham County Sheriff’s Office report.
