Public Records Expose the Sickening 2018 Scottsdale Police Arrest of Thomas M. Simon (aka Tom Avila): Coercion, Forced Sex, and Vile Video Blackmail
Note: The victim’s real name has been redacted in this article and replaced with “Jane Doe” out of respect for her privacy and to protect her identity.
A complete 28-page Scottsdale Police Department report (DR #1814602, obtained via public records request) lays bare the stomach-turning details of his July 1–2, 2018 arrest for allegedly trapping a woman, forcing himself on her, and then trying to extort her with a claimed sex video.
According to the report, officers were dispatched to 76 E. Camelback Road in Scottsdale after a frantic harassment call. The victim, Jane Doe, was a sobbing, shaking wreck — “very hysterical,” pleading for help while tears streamed down her face. She told police that Simon, a former media coworker who had already stolen $250,000 from a company and done roughly eight years in prison, had wormed his way back into her life and moved into her home without her consent. Jane Doe lived with her ex-husband, who was wasting away from a degenerative muscle disease.
On the night of May 18, 2018, Jane Doe said she felt sick. Simon showed up, drove her in her own car to his Scottsdale apartment, and once inside the door, the nightmare began. He wrapped her in a hug she couldn’t escape. Then the much larger man pinned her down, climbed on top of her, and started forcing sex. Jane Doe physically fought back — the report is crystal clear on her resistance — but she eventually stopped struggling “so that she could leave afterwards.” Only after he finished did he let her go. She drove away, traumatized.
Weeks later, on July 1, Simon’s texts turned even more grotesque. He bragged that he had a video of them having sex saved on his computer and started hammering her with messages: come back over, let me fuck you again, or I’ll blast this all over the internet and destroy your media career. He kept reminding her how much he “loved” her, how he remembered every detail of the encounter, and how he’d only delete the video if she showed up. He also tossed in threats to call immigration on her, slap her with a restraining order, or file criminal charges — anything to drag her back into his apartment for more.
Police didn’t waste time. Sgt. E. Echiverri texted Simon from Jane Doe’s phone, pretending to be her. Officers set up surveillance outside his building. When Simon walked out carrying his laptop bag at 1:29 a.m., officers swarmed him with guns drawn. He was cuffed without incident and hauled to jail.
At the station, Simon tried to paint the whole thing as a consensual three-month romance full of arguments. He swore he never recorded anything and claimed he only “went along with her delusion” about a video because she kept bringing it up. He signed a consent-to-search form for his black HP laptop (serial SCD7244WP4) and black/silver iPhone (DX3T240XFF9R). Cops found zero explicit photos or videos — but the devices were impounded anyway.
He was formally charged with:
A domestic-violence lethality assessment filled out by Jane Doe checked “yes” to forced sex she didn’t want and past choking. She described the most terrifying moment as “unwanted sexual intercourse.” A crisis counselor had to be called in to calm her down.
Simon eventually pleaded guilty to a watered-down disorderly conduct charge. The original felonies were dropped. The laptop and phone were returned to him in 2019 after the case was closed.
This isn’t ancient history. Simon is still out there in North Dakota running his “news” pages and broadcasting. His son, Thomas “Tommy James” Simon Jr., has been publicly named in online discussions tied to the still-unsolved 2013 murder of 19-year-old Adrienne Celeste Salinas in Tempe — though neither man has ever been charged and both cooperated with that investigation.
Broadcasting Claims Appear to Be Fabricated: Simon has repeatedly described himself online and in public posts as “formerly of FOX News, LA and CNN.” No independent evidence — including network staff listings, bylines, video archives, internal credits, or public records — supports any employment with either major network. His documented broadcasting history is limited to local Arizona radio stations and his current self-operated “Trending Topics” pages in North Dakota.
As part of this reporting, we reached out directly to both FOX News and CNN to confirm whether Thomas M. Simon (or Tom Avila) was ever employed by either organization in any capacity. We also asked whether, if he had been employed, the networks were aware of his extensive criminal record at the time. Neither network has responded as of the publication of this article.
Bottom line from the official police file: Public records show a clear, repulsive pattern — financial crimes, forcing his way into a vulnerable woman’s life, pinning her down for sex she fought against, then trying to blackmail her with a threatened revenge video while she was already terrified. Anyone, especially women in media or anyone who has crossed paths with Simon professionally or personally, should treat contact with him as a potential threat. Do not let him into your home. Do not engage in private conversations. Do not ignore red flags.
The full Scottsdale PD report is public. Read it yourself if you want the unfiltered truth. If you have information about Simon or concerns about your own safety, contact your local law enforcement immediately. For the Adrienne Celeste Salinas case, tips can still be submitted to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or Tempe Police at 480-350-8311. The $20,000 reward is still active.
This article is based 100% on the official Scottsdale Police Department report (DR #1814602) and publicly available court records. It is not intended as legal advice.
