Former Douglas County High School Psychology Teacher Sentenced to 300 Days in Jail for Sexual Exploitation of a Student

James Christopher Thomure, 57, groped a 17-year-old student inside a Douglas County High School classroom in Castle Rock while proctoring an exam, then drove her to her car. On Friday, a judge sentenced him to 300 days in jail and eight years of intensive sex-offender probation.

The 23rd Judicial District Attorney's Office announced the sentence after Thomure, a former social studies teacher at the school, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of child abuse. The plea resolved the original arrest charge of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, which investigators filed after classroom surveillance video corroborated the victim's account.

On May 27, 2024, Thomure was proctoring an exam with three students when the other two finished and left the room. Alone with the 17-year-old, he engaged her in conversation, groped her, and attempted to kiss her. He also suggested the two meet at a park over the summer for sexual activity.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office Special Victims Unit arrested Thomure on June 18, 2024, roughly three weeks after the incident. He was held on a $20,000 bond. At the time of his arrest, he was 55, lived in Centennial, and was a married father of two college-aged children.

District Attorney George Brauchler's office stated: "This man violated the trust placed in him as an educator and caused lasting harm to a young victim." The 23rd Judicial District, which covers Douglas, Elbert, and Lincoln counties, emphasized in its release the seriousness with which it treats sexual contact between educators and students.

In court, the victim read a statement. "The experience has stayed with me for years," she said. "I am proud that I chose to stand with myself, with others who have spoken out, who are afraid to speak out, or are unsure if they should."

Thomure no longer works for Douglas County School District, Colorado's third-largest school district. Douglas County High School serves approximately 1,771 students across grades 9 through 12.

The 300-day sentence stands in stark contrast to other Colorado educator misconduct cases. Tera Johnson-Swartz, a 2024 Colorado Teacher of the Year finalist, received 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and felony cybercrime tied to an illicit relationship with a student. The gap reflects how courts weigh the nature, duration, and severity of individual offenses, but both cases ended with teachers in custody and students left to read statements before a court.