10 & Pregnant by Mom’s Boyfriend: Officials Failed to Protect Her

In 2015, 9-year-old fifth-grader Sophie (name changed to protect the innocent) lived in Georgia with her mother, brother, and mom’s boyfriend, Nicholas Thrash, 34. To outsiders, Nicholas seemed to be the perfect man. He treated Sophie’s mother like a Queen, did fun things with the kids, cooked, cleaned the house, and watched the kids while Sophie’s mom worked. To Sophie, he was the man who hurt her and eventually became her baby’s father.

Sophie initially didn’t realize that Thrash had been abusing her for the past year. She knew that she didn't like the things he did to her, but did not realize it was wrong. She learned from teachers at school during a lesson about inappropriate touching. Sophie knew Thrash touched her inappropriately and thanks to the lesson, that it was wrong and she should tell someone. She told her teacher about the abuse. The teacher called the police who notified DFCS and Sophie's mom. Sophie confessed to her mom that Nicholas had been touching her.

Sophie did everything right, yet still did not get the protection from her abuser that she needed and deserved.

Detective Jeff Sheppard interviewed Sophie and knew immediately she was telling the truth. She vividly described how Thrash hurt her in a way that sickened the detective to his stomach.

Sophie’s mom didn't protect her. Instead, she insisted to the police that Sophie was lying, that Thrash was a good man who would never hurt the kids. Detectives collected evidence from the home, including clothing, underwear, and blankets, and sent them to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) for DNA analysis. Evidence of a crime was present on all the items.

The DFCS set up a safety plan for Sophie and her brother with their mother. She agreed that she would not have any contact whatsoever with Thrash and would keep the children away from him. Until DNA evidence proved Thrash assaulted Sophie, authorities' hands were tied.

As the investigation got underway, Thrash left town. Sophie’s mom told authorities she didn't know where he had gone and was no longer in contact with him. Sophie and her brother told them the two spoke on the phone daily.

Police often wait months to years for DNA test results. While waiting on the results from Sophie’s case, DFCS workers created a safety plan with her mother. The workers had every opportunity to protect Sophie and remove her from her mother’s care. Instead, Sophie’s mom signed a contract promising to keep Sophie and her brother away from Thrash and went on her way.

On her way to Indiana, giving Thrash full access to Sophie.

She stopped communicating with police after leaving Georgia. Authorities had no idea where any of them were located in May 2017, when the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) returned DNA results in Sophie’s case, proving the foreign matter found on Sophie’s clothing, underwear, and blanket belonged to Thrash: he had sexually abused Sophie, just like she told everyone.

Family members reached out to Sophie’s mom by phone. She told them she left town to keep Thrash away from Sophie, that she had not seen him in the two years since leaving Georgia. She cried upon hearing the news, saying she had no idea Thrash had sexually abused Sophie.

Days later, Sophie’s mom attempted to schedule an abortion for the 10-year-old. Staff at the abortion clinic called the police, alerting them of a five-month-pregnant 10-year-old. Police arrested Sophie's mom that day and Thrash after a brief manhunt.

Sophie told authorities that a boy at her school had impregnated her, but detectives knew her mother told her to lie to protect Nicholas.

The state placed Sophie and her brother in foster homes.

Sadly, Sophie’s nightmare did not end there. According to 11Alive, her foster father allegedly abused her while she was pregnant.

Four months later, just days before her 11th birthday, Sophie delivered her baby. She asked her grandma if she could still play with baby dolls since she had her own baby now. Her grandmother assured her that she could.

The state placed Sophie's baby in foster care, although she now sees him regularly. State officials hope one day for a reunification between them.

Sophie’s mom admitted in court that she knew Thrash was abusing Sophie and did nothing to protect her daughter. She admitted that she fled to Indiana with her children to be with Thrash after Sophie accused him of abuse, allowing the abuse to continue and result in Sophie’s pregnancy at just 10 years old.

She accepted a plea deal admitting to neglecting, aiding, and assisting a criminal and child molestation. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison and five years of probation upon her release.

Thrash denied abusing Sophie at his trial despite DNA evidence proving he fathered her baby. He claimed Sophie’s mother had implanted his semen inside of Sophie to frame him and alleged that Sophie was promiscuous and had slept with several different boys. In 2018, he was convicted of molesting Sophie and sentenced to 160 years in prison. He filed an appeal, insisting the sentence was unfair. He has a release date in 2141.

Sophie’s grandmother told 11Alive that the two DFCS workers who handled Sophie’s case were fired due to their negligence in the case. However, DFCS officials do not comment on cases, therefore, that information could not be confirmed.

Sophie spent time in a mental health facility after delivering her baby. She attempted suicide at least twice and involved herself with drugs to escape the pain she felt every single day. She is now around 17-18 years old.

“I went [from] a happy, positive, cheerful person to a depressed, negative and unhappy person,” she added. “I did these things to try to escape my own living hell.”

“Despite all of this, I am determined to gain back a life of happiness, positivity and cheerfulness. Although, I can’t get my childhood back, I will gain a successful and [sic] teenage and adult life,

Read Sophie’s full court statement here:

Sources:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6215457/Molesters-girlfriend-admits-knew-assaulting-daughter-10-girl-got-pregnant.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/crime-law/2018/09/21/an-indiana-man-who-impregnated-year-old-girl-will-spend-rest-his-life-prison/

https://www.11alive.com/article/news/investigations/the-reveal/man-who-impregnated-10-year-old-says-he-doesnt-deserve-the-160-year-sentence/85-76ade977-5c5f-4318-aaf1-76279bbef7d2

https://fox59.com/news/indycrime/marion-police-search-for-man-accused-of-child-molesting-impregnating-10-year-old-girl/