Convicted Sex Offender Kidnaps Pott Co. Woman, Zip-Ties Her to His Bed

A woman in Pottawatomie County made a brave escape Tuesday morning after the sheriff says her ex-boyfriend bound her to a bed while describing what if would feel like if he shot a pellet gun at her head.

“He had gone through the scenarios,” Sheriff Mike Booth says, “if the pellet enters your skull, what would it do? It wouldn't kill you. (It would) cause you a lot of pain. If it entered your liver? Et cetera. Her hands were zip-tied and her legs were zip-tied, (with) a paracord tied to the zip-ties to secure her to a bed.”

The female victim, in her 20’s, told deputies that she had dated 32-year-old Thomas Phipps years ago, but they broke up and she hadn’t had contact with him in a while. When the two met up Monday night to get reacquainted, Booth says it appears Phipps had already planned the attack out.

“We got a search warrant,” Sheriff Booth says, "went in the house, (and were) able to find in the house and on the property premade zip-ties that were already made up."

In 2014, Phipps was convicted of possessing child pornography in Cleveland County. He is a registered sex offender and has a list of other charges spanning the years.

In this case, the victim was able to break free from the constraints when Phipps wasn’t looking, according to the sheriff. He says the woman ran to a neighbor’s house and Phipps chased after her. Those living nearby called 911.

News 9 obtained a copy of that recording.

CALLER: "There is a young lady in my front yard, banging on my front door. She said that my neighbor has had her tied up.”

Later, the same caller says the woman needed medical care and that she still had zip-ties around her wrist.

CALLER: "My wife is holding the man at gunpoint."

911: "Holding a man?"

CALLER: "Yeah. There's a man trying to take the woman back off of my yard.”

The sheriff says the house the two were in belongs to Thomas’ family and that he lives in a school bus parked feet away. He also appeared to be drunk during the attack according to law enforcement.

Phipps is being held at the Pottawatomie County Safety Center on complaints of kidnapping, aggravated assault and battery, and possession of a firearm after a felony conviction. We checked today and no formal charges have been filed.

The sheriff cautions others to always pay attention to red flags that pop-up in relationships. He says those who need resources concerning domestic violence can get more information through the Sheriff’s Department.