Senior Airman convicted of sexual assault in England

March 31, 2006
Santa Paula News

A senior airman from Santa Paula serving with the 48th Component Maintenance Squadron stationed in England was convicted in a military court last week of sexually assaulting a female senior airman.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesA senior airman from Santa Paula serving with the 48th Component Maintenance Squadron stationed in England was convicted in a military court last week of sexually assaulting a female senior airman.Senior Airman Jeffrey M. Robles, 22, is awaiting sentencing on the charges that stemmed from a Sept. 24, 2005 house party at his residence.Both the defense attorneys and prosecution agree that both Robles and his female victim were intoxicated on the night of the incident but Robles’ attorney said that the encounter was consensual.The trial took place inside the Royal Air Force’s Lakeheath courtroom, according to the European edition of Stars and Stripes.
While testifying the female senior airman admitted that she was extremely intoxicated and passed out. She awoke to find Robles in the room and he assaulted her. She testified that she did not try to stop him because she was paralyzed from fear and shock that her friend Robles - who she could not see in the dark but whose voice she recognized - was assaulting her.Robles’ attorney Capt. W. Crosby Parker and co-counsel Maj. Steve Ganter told the court during opening and closing statements that the victim did not resist or even tell Robles to stop and made conflicting statements about the incident.Court witnesses testified that they heard the victim say that she wanted to see how far Robles go.Prosecutor Capt. Tony Carnilli and co-prosecutor Capt. Adrian Brown argued that the case was an abuse of trust based on the friendship between Robles’ and the victim and that he had stated that he had seen the victim unconscious when he entered the room.The judge is expected to hand down the sentence shortly.



Site Search

E-Subscribe

Subscribe

E-SUBSCRIBE
Call 805 525 1890 to receive the entire paper early. $50.00 for one year.

webmaster