Life sentence upheld for man who kidnapped, sexually assaulted Lubbock teen

LUBBOCK, Texas — The lifetime prison sentence for a man who cyberstalked, sexually assaulted and kidnapped a 13-year-old girl from Lubbock, Thomas John Boukamp, 24, was affirmed by a federal appeals court, according to court documents obtained Wednesday.

Boukamp was convicted of 16 charges in June of 2020. He represented himself at trial after he was allowed to fire his lawyers the month before. It was revealed during trial that Boukamp started messaging the victim, only identified as Jane Doe, when she was 13 years old. Court documents stated Boukamp first started talking to the victim via online chats. Boukamp frequently visited chat rooms labeled for those with interest in “death” or “kidnapping.” Court documents said Boukamp “tortured” the victim psychologically and blackmailed her with explicit photos until she agreed to leave her home with him.

The victim felt “trapped,” court records said, and wrote in her journal that she wished Boukamp was “gone forever.” Doe told Boukamp that she just wanted to “be a 13-year-old” and live a “normal” life. Court records said Boukamp threatened to find Doe and kill her parents.

On November 13, 2020, the victim walked out of her middle school in Lubbock and got into Boukamp’s car. The two drove to his home in Michigan. Court records said Boukamp sexually assaulted and physically abused the victim while in Michigan. The victim also testified that Boukamp forcibly removed her braces with pliers.

Related coverage:

• Michigan man indicted for kidnapping of Lubbock teen
• Boukamp ruled competent to stand trial for kidnapping of Lubbock teen
• Boukamp, accused of cyber stalking Lubbock girl, can fire his lawyers, represent himself
• Trial starts for man accused of cyberstalking, kidnapping 14-year-old Lubbock girl
• Boukamp began crying when victim said she did not love him in court
• Jury finds Boukamp guilty on all charges
• Life in prison for man who kidnapped, sexually assaulted Lubbock teen

Law enforcement eventually tracked the two down and went to the lake house in Michigan. The victim was recovered, and Boukamp was arrested. Authorities found 32 images and 11 videos on his phone that showed child pornography. Several images were of children other than Doe, court records stated.

Boukamp raised nine issues on appeal, ranging from an unreasonable sentence to claiming the court made a mistake by allowing Boukamp to represent himself. However, each issue was refuted. The appeals court ruled that Boukamp’s convictions and sentence were affirmed.

As of Wednesday, Boukamp remained in custody at the federal prison in Tucson, according to public records.

Find victim advocacy services here. Voice of Hope’s 24-hour crisis hotline is (806) 763-7273. The National Sexual Assault Hotline is (800)-656-4673.

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