IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Sexual assault: Air Force Lt. Col. in charge of Sexual Assault Prevention arrested

A senior defense official told NBC News that Lt. Col. Jeff Krusinski, who leads the Air Force’s branch of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, was removed from his job Monday afternoon pending the outcome of an investigation.
/ Source: Politics Nation

A senior defense official told NBC News that Lt. Col. Jeff Krusinski, who leads the Air Force’s branch of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, was removed from his job Monday afternoon pending the outcome of an investigation.

UPDATED, 6:40 pm ET

An Air Force officer tasked with sexual assault prevention has been arrested and charged with sexual battery this weekend, accused of attacking a woman in a suburban Virginia parking lot Sunday morning.

A senior defense official told NBC News that Lt. Col. Jeff Krusinski, who leads the Air Force’s branch of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, was removed from his job Monday afternoon pending the outcome of an investigation.

According to the Arlington County Police Report, early Sunday morning, “a drunken male subject approached a female victim in a parking lot and grabbed her breasts and buttocks. The victim fought the suspect off as he attempted to touch her again and alerted police.”

Krusinski appears to have cuts and bruises on his face that may have come from a fight with the victim, according to the booking photo obtained by ARLnow.com. The same local blog also reports that the victims says she did not know Krusinski.

Krusinski was arrested and charged with sexual battery after the assault. A senior defense official tells NBC News that Krusinski did not show up for work today – and when his colleagues called to asked about this incident he said that he can’t talk about it.

The Air Force has been rocked by a series of sexual misconduct controversies, including a string of assaults at Lackland Air Force Base and a general’s recent decision to overturn Lieutenant Colonel James Wilkerson’s rape conviction based solely on his “convening authority.”

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel responded to the Wilkerson controversy by directing the Pentagon to strip commanding generals of their ability to void military court convictions.

New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has become a vocal advocate for the military’s assault victims, leading hearings on the issue and introducing legislation aimed to help them get justice.

Virginia Messick, one of dozens victims in the Lackland sexual assault scandal, joined PoliticsNation to share her experience in March. “It’s my turn for him to be scared of me,” she said of her testimony against her attacker. “I went ahead and did what I needed to do.”

Although it is believed to be under-reported, the Defense Department estimates approximately 19,000 cases of sexual abuse occur in the military each year.

The U.S. Air Force released the following statement Monday:

 Lt Col Jeff Krusinski was charged with sexual battery in Arlington, Virginia, over the weekend. The case is currently under investigation. He has been removed from his position as the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response branch chief pending the outcome of the current investigation.  He served in this position since February 2013.