UPDATE 1/22/2026: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Friday, January 16, 2026, a Charles County jury, after a 5-day trial, convicted Tristan Thigpen, 40, of Sexual Abuse a Minor.
On February 3, 2021, a detective with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office received a Child Protect Services Intake report from Prince George’s County. The report indicated an open investigation into allegations of sexual abuse occurring in Prince George’s County. During that investigation, the juvenile victim disclosed additional incidents of sexual abuse that occurred in Charles County.
A further investigation revealed that the juvenile and his family lived at a Waldorf residence from late 2015 through the end of 2016. During that time, Thigpen was one of the victim’s caregivers and had known the victim for several years.
Initially, Thigpen had physical contact with the victim that included massages on his shoulders and arms, tickling, and play-fighting. However, the physical touch escalated to Thigpen touching the victim’s genitals while alone with him, including at his Waldorf residence.
In December 2020, the victim disclosed the abuse to a family member. A police report was subsequently filed.
A sentencing date has been set for April 2, 2026. Thigpen faces 25 years in prison.
9/30/2020: A Prince George’s County grand jury indicted a suspended Prince George’s County Police officer. Corporal Tristan Thigpen faces several charges to include sexual abuse of a minor, second degree assault, third degree sex offense and fourth degree sex offense. He is now suspended without pay.
Thigpen is accused of inappropriately touching a young child whom he knows. This allegation stems from an incident that occurred on April 1, 2020. At the time, Thigpen was already suspended on an unrelated matter. The PGPD suspended Thigpen in August of 2018 following his arrest for DUI in Nevada.
The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division brought its investigation of the sexual abuse allegation to the State’s Attorney’s Office for consideration of criminal charges.
“The fact the allegations against this officer involve a child make them all the more troubling. The officer had already been on suspension when our department was made aware of this allegation. We immediately opened an investigation and brought this case to the State’s Attorney’s Office for possible prosecution,” said Interim Police Chief Hector Velez.
Thigpen joined the PGPD in 2006 and was assigned to the Bureau of Patrol prior to his 2018 suspension.
Anyone with relevant information on Thigpen is asked to call the Internal Affairs Division at 301-352-1200.
