Feb. 23—DALLAS — An age difference of four years resulted in a 19-year-old man from Avoca being arraigned Thursday for having a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old girl.

Gavin James Thomas, then 18, admitted he met the girl on a social media site in August 2021 and engaged in a secret sexual relationship with her for several months, according to court records.

Thomas told the girl to keep their relationship a secret, court records say.

The girl was questioned by a forensic interviewer at the Luzerne County Children's Advocacy Center in Wilkes-Barre describing the relationship and alleged sexual encounters.

Thomas claimed when he learned about the girl's age, he had a "come to moment" realization and took a break from the girl but continued to have sexual relations with her in November through the first week of December 2021, court records say.

Luzerne County detectives charged Thomas with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors and indecent assault. He was arraigned by District Judge Ferris Webby in Central Court and jailed at the county correctional facility for lack of $175,000 bail.