Parent reacts after Thomasville acting teacher arrested for sexual assault on minor

THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WCTV) - A parent in Thomasville says the sexual assault arrest of a local acting teacher is one of his worst fears.

The Thomas County Sheriff’s Office says Ryan Carr used drugs and alcohol to engage in sex with an underage girl who was a student at the Young Actors Conservatory.

Investigators say a second underaged victim accused Carr of inappropriate touching while coaching gymnastics at the YMCA.

Robert Gilmore, a father of two in Thomasville, says he was appalled to hear this news, since parents trust programs to do thorough background checks on people who work closely with children.

Gilmore says his son used to play soccer for the YMCA just before the pandemic. Although he does not recall any encounters with Carr and says that he really enjoyed the program’s quality, he says this situation might create a little hesitancy when it comes to enrolling in the program again.

“You wish that something like this wouldn’t happen, especially when you have a community as tight-knit as this one and you have kids that go to different programs,” he said.

WCTV reached out to both the YMCA and Thomasville on Stage and Company, which runs the Young Actors Conservatory program formerly led by Carr. According to TOSAC’s website, the program is on hold until further notice.

Thomasville YMCA sent the following statement to WCTV on Thursday, May 19:

“The YMCA is entrusted with the health and safety of kids in our community.  We are aware that a former employee has been accused of inappropriately touching a minor while employed at the YMCA.  This individual has not been employed by the YMCA since 2020.  The YMCA takes this allegation seriously and is undertaking a review of its policies and procedures.”

Carr had moved to the Thomasville area in 2019, with a background working in Chicago and Los Angeles as an actor and stuntman in TV shows including Empire and Chicago P.D., and in films including Divergent and Hannah Montana: The Movie.

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