A former El Paso County public defender was found guilty Friday by a jury in the 4th Judicial District of sexually assaulting a child, according to a news release from the District Attorney’s Office.

Thomas Cushing was 26 when he was arrested in November 2024. He faced one count of sexual assault against a child, a Class 3 felony, according to court records.

An affidavit for Cushing’s arrest indicated he met with the victim, 14, on two different occasions for sexual intercourse. The document also stated the victim told Cushing that she was 18 years old, but made it clear she was a high school student still living with her legal guardians.

At the time of Cushing’s arrest, a spokesman for the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office confirmed to The Gazette that Cushing no longer worked at the public defender’s office.

Judge Catherine Mitchell Helton will decide Cushing’s sentence at a hearing scheduled for May 28.