Michigan man gets life for kidnap, rape of teen girl whose braces he ripped out with pliers

Thomas John Boukamp, 22, was convicted of 16 federal counts after representing himself at trial

By Edward Era Barbacena

A Michigan man who stalked and sexually assaulted a 14-year-old Lubbock girl was sentenced today to life in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.

In June, a jury convicted Thomas John Boukamp, 22, on 16 counts: one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual conduct, one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, one count of enticement of a minor, two counts of receipt of child pornography, ten counts of production and attempted production of child pornography, and one count of cyber stalking. He was sentenced today to U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.

“This man stalked and sexually assaulted a 14-year-old, then had the gall to claim in federal court that their so-called ‘relationship’ was consensual. The child, who bravely faced her abuser in court, asserted in no uncertain terms that his advances were unwelcome. By law, 14-year-olds simply cannot consent to sexual contact with adults. We are immensely proud of this child and hope this sentence brings some solace to her and her family,” U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham said.

"This defendant displayed reprehensible behavior, which was countered by the bravery of the victim that so courageously testified against him," said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to do everything in our power to seek justice for victims and their families, hold perpetrators accountable and protect others from harm."

According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Boukamp met the child, identified in court as Jane Doe, on the instant messaging platform Discord when she was just 13 years old.

The pair exchanged a series of messages, in which he threatened to hurt her family if she disclosed their budding “relationship.”

Mr. Boukamp later transported Jane Doe, then 14 years of age, to his home in Michigan, where he sexually assaulted her, forcibly removed her braces with pliers, strangled, and hit her.

The victim’s father testified at trial that when she ran away to Michigan, his terrified daughter brought her baby blanket with her.

The victim herself also testified at trial and described the abuse she suffered at Boukamp’s hands.

At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors introduced into evidence a recorded jailhouse phone call in which  Mr. Boukamp insisted he would not apologize for “quote unquote ‘raping a 14-year-old.’”

“I like teenage girls! They don’t like that I like that,” he said of federal agents and prosecutors. “I frankly don’t care what the morality of this current time and place says. It’s not wrong. There’s nothing wrong about it. And they’re not going to ever convince me of its wrongness. So up theirs. I hate this nation.”

Reminded that authorities were monitoring his jailhouse calls, he threatened, “if you’re listening to this, yeah, your family is going to die.”

“Play this at my [expletive] sentencing! Do it! I hate you!” he said, before hurling specific invectives at a federal judge and two federal prosecutors.  

At the hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorneys also introduced into evidence a letter Mr. Boukamp wrote to a family member noting his victim’s supposed “betrayal” and asking for help to escape prison.

The victim’s father submitted a statement to the court describing the trauma his daughter continues to endure:  

“Her childhood was ended too soon. He took that from her,” he said. “She struggles with her self-esteem. I don’t know if she’ll ever be able to truly love herself again… We hope that she can be okay. We hope that she can make it through this. We know that she will never be the same. We know that she will never get her innocence back.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas and Detroit Field Offices, the Lubbock Police Department, the Michigan State Police, and the Antrim County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Child Advocacy Center of the South Plains. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Woolam and Jeff Haag prosecuted the case.