A senior Air Force officer has been charged with rape, assault, and committing lewd acts against a child, according to a June 20 report from The Military Times.
This disturbing case comes at a time when the Pentagon has faced intense criticism for its perceived inability to prosecute sexual assault, with less than 3 percent of alleged sexual assaults prosecuted in 2012.
Air Force Lt. Col. Reginald W. Kabban was charged with assaulting and sexually molesting a young girl on multiple occasions between 2005 and 2011, according to a copy of the charge sheet provided to Business Insider.
There is only one victim in the alleged incidents, which occurred near Stafford, Virginia and near Centerville, Ohio. Kabban was previously stationed at the Pentagon, which is located in Arlington County, Virginia, and is currently assigned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
In dozens of incidents detailed on the charge sheet, the Air Force charges that Kabban, 41, engaged in sexual contact with a girl who was younger than 12 years old when the alleged abuse began. The last event listed occurred in November 2011, when Kabban allegedly cut her on the arm with a knife.
Kabban’s case is just the latest in sordid situation where military members allegedly assaulted people not in uniform.
Last month the Air Force lieutenant colonel in charge of sexual assault prevention was arrested under suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman in a parking lot.
Last year Lt. Col. James Wilkerson was found guilty in a military court of aggravated sexual assault, abusive sexual contact, and three counts of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentlemen for allegedly sexually assaulting sleeping house guest. A general threw out his conviction.
The command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base did not have a comment on the charges facing Kabban, said Daryl Meyer, a spokesman for the base.
Kabban’s attorney maintained his client’s innocence.
“We are more than comfortable standing on our not guilty verdict,” said L. Patrick Mulligan, the lead attorney for the defense.
Kabban’s trial is set to begin Sept. 23. He has not been placed in pretrial confinement.
SEE ALSO: The Air Force 'Chief Of Sexual Assault Prevention' Just Got Busted — For Sexual Battery