A 26-year-old Centralia man has been charged in Marion County Court with two Class X felony charges of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child under 13 and a single count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
Centralia Police Chief Greg Dodson said Thomas Smith of East Broadway was arrested on the charges Wednesday following an investigation that began on May 11th when a family member reported the alleged sex related activities involving a six-year-old girl. Dodson said the activity had been going on for an extended period of time at a home in Centralia. He described Smith as a family acquaintance of the victim.
Dodson commended the work of the Amy Center in completing the interview of the girl to develop the extent of the sexual assault and abuse.
Smith also faces another charge of failure to register as a sex offender.
Bond is expected to be set when Smith appears for the first time in court Thursday afternoon.
