Man Sentenced to Prison for Raping, Robbing Masseuses

VAN NUYS —  Calling him part of a “crime wave,” a judge sentenced a Hawthorne man to 39 years to life in state prison Tuesday for robbing and raping masseuses who had placed newspaper ads for their services.

Thomas Nelson, 21, convicted last month of eight felony counts, was facing up to 140 years behind bars. With the sentence handed down by Superior Court Judge Sandy Kriegler, Nelson must serve at least 30 years before he is eligible for parole.

“Each victim was particularly vulnerable in the sense that they were in their residences,” Kriegler said from the bench. “But more than that,” he added, the victims operated on the “fringes of the law,” a fact Nelson knew would make them reluctant to report the crimes.

LAPD Det. Gregory M. Stone testified that Nelson and co-defendant Christopher Terrell Dickson victimized masseuses throughout the San Fernando Valley last year. The detective said Dickson and Nelson would gain entry into their homes after they posed as massage clients.

Once inside a home, Stone said, one defendant would brandish a handgun and open the door for one or two others. They typically made off with cash and jewelry valued between $2,600 and $4,000. They were arrested Sept. 4 after a Sherman Oaks woman recognized the voice of one of the men, who had previously victimized her, and reported him to police.

Dickson, who faces six 15 years-to-life terms in state prison is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 14.