Bond increased for suspect in sex-assault case

Prosecutors: Thorne may have contacted witness

The Daily Inter Lake

Bond was increased Monday to $500,000 for James Thorne, accused of sexually assaulting children in Kalispell.

Deputy County Attorney Dan Guzynski requested the increased bond because Thorne allegedly contacted a witness in the case. District Judge Ted Lympus said bond is set not just to ensure that defendants show up for court, but also to protect society.

Thorne, 41, is charged with five counts of sexual intercourse without consent involving children and four counts of soliciting children to perform sex acts upon other children.

Also Monday, Guzynski filed an affidavit saying that a search of Thorne's computer turned up 8,000 images of illegal child pornography and 120 videos. Some are homemade recordings of pornographic images of local children, according to the document.

The state crime lab is still examining Thorne's computer.

Bond was set at $100,000 when Thorne was charged on Aug. 27 with sexual assault and sexual intercourse without consent. He pleaded innocent on Aug. 31.

On Sept. 18, an amended criminal complaint against Thorne replaced those two charges with the nine current charges. The complaint says that Thorne initiated sexual activity with four boys about the time that they were 10 and 13.

At least one of the boys said that Thorne coerced him into molesting other boys.

Thorne is scheduled to be arraigned on the new charges Thursday.