Maplewood theater teacher charged with criminal sexual conduct of student
MAPLEWOOD, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Maplewood man faces multiple charges after he allegedly carried on a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old theater student.
Theater teacher criminal sexual conduct
What we know:
Thomas Charles Pinckney, 44, is charged with criminal sexual conduct, solicitation of a child to engage in sexual conduct and the electronic distribution of sexual material involving a minor as part of his alleged behavior.
According to charges, on Jan. 22, 2025, police were dispatched to the Hill-Murray School, located on the 2600 block of Larpenteur Avenue in Maplewood, on the report of criminal sexual conduct.
When they arrived, officers were informed that a contracted worker within the school’s theater department, later identified as Pinckney, sent nude photographs to a 16-year-old student as part of an ongoing relationship that also involved physical contact.
Theater student sexual conduct investigation
Dig deeper:
During an investigation, evidence showed that Pinckney sent videos to the student, engaged in sexually explicit messaging and fondled her physically, charges allege. Authorities say the contact occurred both at school and other locations throughout Maplewood.
When speaking to police on Jan. 29, 2025, the victim told authorities about an "ongoing pattern of sexual grooming" by Pinckney that was interrupted by a classmate reporting them.
The victim claimed to have first met Pinckney in the 7th grade through theater work, when Pickney was hired to work with sound design for various productions.
Charges state that they continued seeing each other when, toward the end of her 9th grade year, they began a direct message thread on Instagram, during which he began telling "dirty jokes" to her.
In May 2024, Pinckney said the Instagram platform was "too open" and suggested they move their conversation to Snapchat due to it being more secure, according to charges.
At that point, authorities say they began sharing videos and photos that turned sexual in nature.
The victim told police she was "initially very uncomfortable with the communications" but that she also "felt isolated from friends and family" and enjoyed his compliments about her theater skills.
She said they developed a "system" in which Pinckney was not supposed to send explicit images unless given a "greenlight" in an effort to "exert some control" of the situation, according to the charges. However, Pickney began persistently asking for a "greenlight" even when she resisted.
Charges say that Pinckney would tell her not to share the exchanges with anyone, saying, "nobody can know. It can be dangerous."
She allegedly kept their relationship a secret until around December 2024, when she told two friends, according to charges.
On Jan. 22, 2025, she was called into the school's administration office, and found out that someone had told staff about their relationship.
What's next:
Following the execution of a search warrant on March 26, 2025, authorities say a review of Pickney’s electronic devices remains active.
A warrant has since been issued for his arrest, including in potential border states.