Former North Kingstown basketball coach testifies in ‘naked fat test’ case

WAKEFIELD, R.I. (WLNE) —  Aaron Thomas was back on the stand Monday in his second day testifying in his own defense.

Thomas is accused of performing naked fat tests on student-athletes while he was coaching at North Kingstown High School.

Back in 2022, Thomas pled not guilty after a months-long investigation into allegations against him by both North Kingstown police and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office.

On Monday, his attorney focused on the different elements within Thomas’ fitness testing program, including his motivation to develop the program, with the goal to convince jurors it was a legitimate operation.

“It was to give athletes a competitive advantage,” Thomas said. “It was a way for them to test to see how strong they were getting, what their body fat was, if their flexibility was good and needed work and ultimately when you develop any kind of program, if you have success in it, kids see results and it builds confidence.”

Thomas testified he started to develop the program in the early 1990s, using library books, magazines, and more to help design it.

He said the program ran for at least 28 years with over 600 participants in that timeframe.

Thomas said student-athletes voluntarily participated.

He testified that participants signed consent forms, starting around the year 2000, when he claims the program gained more traction.

Thomas is charged with one count of second-degree child molestation and one count of second-degree sexual assault, allegations he denies.

Thomas’s case will pick back up May 6 at 10 a.m. at Washington County Superior Court, when he is expected to testify for a third day.