Roxboro restaurant owner facing more charges as two more victims come forward

Roxboro Police Chief David Hess said the incidents involved four boys between ages 15 and 17. Since this story broke last Wednesday, two more male victims have come forward. More charges are pending.

Thomas Adler, 32, of Timberlake, has been charged with four counts of participating in prostitution of a minor and patronizing a minor for prostitution. Three of those counts involved soliciting minors, records show. He was placed in the Person County Jail under $250,000 bond after being released from the hospital, Hess said.

“Anytime you have an investigation like this, it shocks the entire community,” Hess said.

Adler co-owns the Clarksville Station restaurant, at 4080 Durham Road, with his father, who shares the same name.

The restaurant has been around since 1975.

“As tight-knit as we are, it rocks your soul, and that’s unfortunate, that we’re having to deal with something like this in this community,” Hess said.

The first alleged victim that came forward in early June was an employee of the restaurant, Hess said.

“We really want to commend the victim that came forward in this case,” Hess said. “It takes a lot of courage to openly discuss such a horrific incident in someone’s life.”

Police say Adler bonded out twice and had checked himself into a mental health facility before he was released Monday.

Investigators are asking other victims to come forward.

“If there are other victims out there, please come forward and let us help you,” Hess said. “Talk with our investigators so that we can bring closure to your family.”

Many residents said they wouldn’t be going back to Clarksville Station anytime soon.

“I was just disgusted,” one resident said. “That was my first reaction, was disgust.”