Air Force sexual assault officer arrested for sexual assault
Lt. Col. Jeff Krusinski, chief of the Defense Department’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response office’s Air Force’s branch, was arrested for — wait for it — sexual assault. According to an Arlington County crime report, just past midnight on Sunday, May 5, Krusinski “approached a female victim in a parking lot and grabbed her breasts ...
Lt. Col. Jeff Krusinski, chief of the Defense Department’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response office’s Air Force’s branch, was arrested for -- wait for it -- sexual assault.
Lt. Col. Jeff Krusinski, chief of the Defense Department’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response office’s Air Force’s branch, was arrested for — wait for it — sexual assault.
According to an Arlington County crime report, just past midnight on Sunday, May 5, Krusinski “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 was arrested and charged with sexual battery, and released on $5,000 bond. He was removed from his position on Monday, Pentagon officials said.
The arrest was first reported by ARLNow.com.
The news comes after E-Ring first reported that the Air Force sexual assault office has been passing out interesting trinkets — breath mints, hand sanitizer, and sponge footballs — in the Pentagon in the hopes that they will promote good behavior and safety.
Frank Cope, from the Air Force’s Sexual Assault Response Coordinator office, told the E-ring that the tchotchkes “spread the message of respect and help available to those who need it.”
“Our phone numbers go out on every one of those items, people see them and often they make the call to the DOD Sexual Assault Hotline (877-995-5247) or a local SARC and begin a conversation that may start them on a journey from victim to survivor.”
UPDATE: The Krusinski arrest quickly has reverberated through the Pentagon’s highest office. Pentagon Press Secretary George Little, late Monday, released the following statement which reveals Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will roll out further sexual assault prevention measures soon.
Little said: "This evening Secretary Hagel spoke to Air Force Secretary Donley about allegations of misconduct involving an Air Force officer who had been responsible for the service’s sexual assault and prevention efforts and was removed today from his position pending the outcome of an investigation. Secretary Hagel expressed outrage and disgust over the troubling allegations and emphasized that this matter will be dealt with swiftly and decisively. Secretary Hagel has been directing the Department’s leaders to elevate their focus on sexual assault prevention and response, and he will soon announce next steps in our ongoing efforts to combat this vile crime. Sexual assault has no place in the United States military. The American people, including our service members, should expect a culture of absolutely no tolerance for this deplorable behavior that violates not only the law, but basic principles of respect, honor, and dignity in our society and its military. Secretary Hagel is firmly committed to upholding the highest standards of behavior in America’s armed forces and will take action to see this through."
Kevin Baron is a national security reporter for Foreign Policy, covering defense and military issues in Washington. He is also vice president of the Pentagon Press Association. Baron previously was a national security staff writer for National Journal, covering the "business of war." Prior to that, Baron worked in the resident daily Pentagon press corps as a reporter/photographer for Stars and Stripes. For three years with Stripes, Baron covered the building and traveled overseas extensively with the secretary of defense and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, covering official visits to Afghanistan and Iraq, the Middle East and Europe, China, Japan and South Korea, in more than a dozen countries. From 2004 to 2009, Baron was the Boston Globe Washington bureau's investigative projects reporter, covering defense, international affairs, lobbying and other issues. Before that, he muckraked at the Center for Public Integrity. Baron has reported on assignment from Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and the South Pacific. He was won two Polk Awards, among other honors. He has a B.A. in international studies from the University of Richmond and M.A. in media and public affairs from George Washington University. Originally from Orlando, Fla., Baron has lived in the Washington area since 1998 and currently resides in Northern Virginia with his wife, three sons, and the family dog, The Edge. Twitter: @FPBaron
More from Foreign Policy
No, the World Is Not Multipolar
The idea of emerging power centers is popular but wrong—and could lead to serious policy mistakes.
America Prepares for a Pacific War With China It Doesn’t Want
Embedded with U.S. forces in the Pacific, I saw the dilemmas of deterrence firsthand.
America Can’t Stop China’s Rise
And it should stop trying.
The Morality of Ukraine’s War Is Very Murky
The ethical calculations are less clear than you might think.
Sign up for World Brief
FP’s flagship evening newsletter guiding you through the most important world stories of the day. Delivered weekdays.
By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.