District Court Judge Donald E. Rysavy declared a mistrial Monday afternoon in a sexual assault case involving a former worker at the Welcome Center in Austin.

Rysavy ruled George G. Thomas and his defense team had been deprived of crucial materials collected by the Austin Police Department.

After a 45-minute conference in chambers with prosecutor Patrick W. Flanagan and defense counsel Karen Duncan and Thomas, Rysavy issued his ruling in open court and discharged the jury.

Thomas, 53, was originally charged with four counts of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree.

The charges stem from allegations made by a now 17-year-old female.

She allegedly told a therapist at Gerard of Minnesota, where she was being treated for post traumatic stress disorder, that she had sex with Thomas when she was 15 years old.

The juvenile told the therapist the story in February 2002 and said the act took place in May 2001, while Thomas was the outreach coordinator for the Welcome Center, an agency helping new immigrants acclimate to life in Austin.

For more on this story, pick up Thursday's edition of the Austin Daily Herald.