A chief petty officer assigned to the aircraft carrier George Washington is accused of raping a shipmate aboard the ship and in an office, will face a preliminary hearing Thursday.
The chief, who allegedly assaulted a female sailor in an office during the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt's deployment last summer, is charged with rape and sexual assault in from from a June 9, 2015, incident, as well as making a false official statement and obstructing justice, according to a charge sheet obtained by Navy Times.
The carriers GW and TRWashington and Roosevelt completed a hull swap late last year that transferred 1,700 TR sailors to GW.
The chief, whose name and rating have been removed as personal details are redacted because his April 18 charges have not been referred to court-martial, is accused of restraining the sailor and forcing her to have intercourse.
That same day, according to his charge sheet, he told another sailor that he was late to watch "due to him having been turning aircraft on the flight deck" — an alleged false official statement.
He is also accused of obstructing justice two days later by pressuring his alleged victim to retract statements she made to another sailor to an outcry witness, requesting that another sailor not report his actions, "and by attempting to physically restrain [name redacted], U.S. Navy, from reporting the accused's actions," according to his charge sheet.
All names have been redacted.
The chief's Article 32 hearing — the military equivalent of a grand jury hearing — is scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Norfolk.
Meghann Myers is the Pentagon bureau chief at Military Times. She covers operations, policy, personnel, leadership and other issues affecting service members.
