A former diplomat, World Bank consultant, and married father of three was arrested last month and charged with sexually abusing three children under the age of 10 in Washington, DC, according to a report.
Thomas Mahony, 42, an Australian national, is accused of abusing two 7-year-old girls and one 8-year-old boy — with all three incidents occurring at his family home during playdates with his children, The Washington Post reported.
The alleged abuse occurred in separate incidents in November 2023, February 2023, and as recently as July 2025.
Police were notified as early as the first incident in 2023, but the US Attorney’s office did not prosecute Mahony because of “consideration of the government’s burden of beyond a reasonable doubt,” court records reviewed by the outlet stated.
The World Bank told the outlet that Mahony’s employment was terminated when they were informed of his arrest and charges on July 23.
Mahony was known in the Northwest Washington community as an engaged and proud parent who volunteered as a photographer for his children’s swim teams, the report stated.
The mother of two alleged victims said she once thought of Mahony as “a hero of the community,” before learning of the abuse which allegedly happened while the young children were watching a movie, playing video games, or pretending to run to a Target store.
During the playdate in November 2023, Mahony allegedly escorted a girl to the bathroom of his family home where he sexually assaulted her, according to the report. That incident was reported to authorities.
The mother of two other victims said she trusted Mahony up until the moment last month when she discovered him allegedly abusing her 7-year-old daughter.
“The only thing you can do is just cry,” the anonymous mother of two of the children who Mahony is charged with abusing told the outlet.
“I feel like I failed as a mother by trusting this person,” she said.
“I told my husband if there is a family we can trust, it must be this family.”
The mother described the incident in July during which Mahony said he was “playing a game” with her daughter in a bedroom.
Mahony initially invited her children over while the mother napped at her home after both clans spent the morning of Sunday July 13, at a swim meet.
After the nap, Mahony told the mother to bring gin, and when she arrived, he made her a drink and quickly retreated to the bedroom where he was playing a game with her 7-year-old daughter.
The mother approached the bedroom quietly and said the girl was sitting near Mahony’s head. Both were clothed, but she could not see where their hands were.
She entered a state of shock and went to play with the other children in the other room.
When her own husband arrived at Mahony’s home, she instructed him to check on their daughter.
The father called the 7-year-old’s name and walked towards the bedroom. He reported to police Mahony emerged from the bedroom shaking nervously from head-to-toe.
Later that night, the parents explained to the 7-year-old girl that no one is allowed to touch her private parts.
“But Thomas did,” the child replied, according to the report.
The girl revealed that the alleged abuse occurred more than once and would happen when Mahony’s wife was asleep.
The couple’s son had a similar tale of abuse that he recounted when told by his parents to stay away from Mahony.
The then 8-year-old was playing video games with Mahony’s son when the dad sat down next to him and allegedly touched him inappropriately over the clothing during a playdate in July 2024, the report stated.
After the incident in July, another parent came forward and reported to the anonymous mother that their daughter reported being abused by Mahony in 2023 — but the parents decided to give the well-respected neighborhood “hero” the benefit of the doubt.
A fourth child has claimed this week that Mahony repeatedly sexually abused her, though no charges have been filed in connection to her claims, according to filings in DC Superior Court reviewed by the Washington Post.
In the fallout of the depraved revelations, Mahony’s wife announced intentions to move to Japan and then back to Australia, the report said.
Mahony was denied release with prosecutors calling the Australian national a “significant flight risk.”
He faces two charges of first-degree child sexual abuse and one charge of second-degree child sexual abuse.
He is due back in court on Aug 26.
A LinkedIn profile shows that one Thomas Mahony was an economist at the World Bank starting in January 2023.
Prior to that, the Johns Hopkins graduate served as First Secretary for the Embassy of Australia in Washington DC and a senior analyst in the Australian Government.
Read the full article here
