Crime & Safety
Juvenile Hall Counselor Pleads Guilty To Producing Child Pornography
Thomas Perez Jewell of Pleasant Hill faces minimum sentence of 15 years.
A Contra Costa County youth counselor has pleaded guilty in federal court to producing child pornography, according to a news release from the Justice Department.
Thomas Perez Jewell, 54, of Pleasant Hill, formerly a counselor at Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall in Martinez, made a plea to one count of production of child pornography in federal court in Oakland on Wednesday.
He admitted to sexual molesting two minor victims and creating child pornography of the molestation, according to the release by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer and U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag.
on 46 counts of child molestation. He has been in custody since his arrest Nov. 18.
Sentence is set for Feb. 29 before U.S. District Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton. Jewell faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, the news release states.
Investigating agencies included the FBI and the police departments of Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill and Martinez.
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