US Air Force recruiter sentenced to 27 years behind ‎bars for sexual assault‎
A US Air Force recruiter is sentenced to 27 years in jail for sexually assaulting women who went to his Houston-area recruiting station in the southern state of Texas to ask about joining the military.
Lackland Air Force Base Spokesman Brent Boller said on Friday that technical Sergeant Jaime Rodriguez, 34, was reduced in rank to airman basic which is the lowest rank in the Air Force.
The 34-year-old is also said to be dishonorably discharged after completing his prison sentence.
Rodriguez is accused of offenses ranging from inappropriate sexual relationships with female recruits to rape. He has received the longest prison term yet given in an Air Force scandal.
According to Boller, on June 13, Rodriguez was convicted of aggravated sexual assault, aggravated sexual contact, abusive sexual contact, wrongful sexual contact and indecent exposure. However, he was acquitted of rape and forcible sodomy charges.
During his trial, the 13-year Air Force veteran had pleaded guilty to engaging in or attempting to engage in unprofessional relationships and adultery which is considered felony under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Washington is facing a crisis due to the rising number of sexual assaults in the countryâ„¢s military.
On May 25, President Barack Obama said the problem would undermine trust in US military.
A newly-released report by the Pentagon on sexual assaults in the military indicates that unwanted sexual contact complaints involving military personnel jumped to 26,000 cases in 2012 from 19,000 a year before. The figure shows a 37-percent increase.
The sharp increase in the number of sexual assault cases comes as the Pentagon is planning to integrate women into front-line combat roles.
MR/NN
This article originally appeared on: Press TV