KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — UPDATE: A Knoxville man is serving a 10-year term on judicial diversion after pleading guilty to aggravated assault in connection with his conduct with a former girlfriend, court records state.
Matthew Dakota Thomas, 23, was put on probation and judicial diversion in April 2022 after pleading guilty to aggravated assault in Knox County Criminal Court, records state. The term began in 2022 and is set to end in April 2032.
If he stays out of trouble and meets the terms of his diversion, he can seek to have the case wiped from his record in 2032.
PREVIOUS STORY: A 20-year-old Knoxville man who admitted to authorities he'd burned his girlfriend's bottom with a heated iron rod during forced sex faces aggravated rape charges.
Matthew Dakota Thomas was being held Wednesday in lieu of $100,000 and faces an Aug. 4 Knox County General Sessions Court date, records show.
He was arrested Tuesday.
The victim, 21, told authorities while at Parkwest Medical Center on Monday that Thomas repeatedly abused her with the iron rod as well as lit cigarettes and that he forced her to have sex despite her protests at their East Knoxville home.
The latest incident happened Sunday night, warrants state, when Thomas insisted they have sex. She objected. He began strangling her until she almost blacked out, according to records.
The same thing happened Monday morning, records state.
"The victim stated that the suspect would burn her with cigarettes, strike her across the face and burn her on the butt with a metal rod heated with a blow torch," a warrant states."
A witness verified some of what the victim said, records state.
Police interviewed Thomas at the county's Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility.
According to a warrant, Thomas told officers "he and the victim would have sex about seven times a day."
"The suspect stated that yes, he would have sex with the victim even if she said no, or if she didn't want to," a warrant states. "The suspect continued to state that he would choke the victim and would burn the victim on the butt with an iron rod.
"The suspect stated that after awhile he decided that was wrong and stopped using the rod and started using candles."
During an exam at the Sexual Assault Center, a nurse saw what appeared to be a cigarette burn on her leg, burns on her bottom as well as marks on her neck.
In 2018, police Tased Thomas at his home while trying to arrest him. Thomas's father had called officers after Thomas became violent when he tried to take his cell phone away from him, records show.The case was later dismissed.