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Former Army Officer Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Teenage Girls in Air

A former military officer has been sentenced to a year in prison for sexually abusing two teenagers during a flight to Seattle.

According to court documents, James Benecke, a 42-year-old former chief warrant officer, allegedly engaged in inappropriate behavior with a 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old boy on separate flights to Seattle, two months apart.

In July 2023, Benecke was charged and later pleaded guilty to sexual abuse on board an airplane in April 2024.

In April 2023, Benecke made inappropriate physical contact with the 16-year-old while they were sitting next to each other on the plane.

In June 2023, during a flight from Dallas to Seattle, Benecke made inappropriate physical contact with an 18-year-old passenger sitting next to him. According to court documents, the victim’s boyfriend was present during the attack and immediately notified crew members of what had happened.

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Benecke was questioned by police when the plane arrived in Seattle. He was subsequently arrested at his home base, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, about a month later.

In the plea agreement, Benecke admitted that he committed both incidents intentionally “for his sexual arousal.”

There has been an increase in incidents of sexual assault on airplanes across the country. According to the FBI, there has been a significant increase in investigations into sexual misconduct on airplanes between 2019 and 2021, with a 25% increase. Last year, there were 27 investigations into cases of sexual misconduct. In 2022, the number of investigations increased to 90, and in 2023, it increased further to 96.

Based on information from the FBI, it has been determined that the majority of individuals involved in these incidents are male. Their targets are typically females, unaccompanied minors, and individuals who use prescription drugs or alcohol to relax during their flight.

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