Posted on 03/31/2006 4:31:54 PM PST by Former Military Chick
WEST POINT, N.Y. - A cadet at the U.S. Military Academy has been charged with raping two former cadets, a West Point spokesman said Thursday in reporting the latest alleged sex assault involving a military academy.
Lonnie Story, a senior from Poplar Bluff, Mo., was on leave when the alleged incidents occurred in January 2005 and October 2005, Lt. Col. Kent Cassella said. The two women had already graduated at the time.
In an e-mail message to The Associated Press late Thursday, Story professed his innocence. He faces a pretrial investigation to decide whether the case should proceed to a court-martial.
Cassella said the cadet will be "presumed innocent until found guilty. ... He will continue his regular duties and is not in pretrial confinement."
The nation's military academies have been under scrutiny since 2003, when women at the Air Force Academy in Colorado began coming forward with accusations that they had been sexually assaulted by fellow cadets over the previous decade and were ignored or ostracized by commanders when they spoke out.
Since then, sexual assault allegations have also rocked the campuses of the Naval Academy and Coast Guard Academy.
Maybe Lonnie doesn't know the difference between his rifle and his gun.
There are a lot of questions unanswered by this article. One I find particulary interesting is, "How does the academy have jurisdiction in this case if it happened in the continental US, off base, while the cadet was on leave?"
Total BS, this person better reread the UCMJ.
Guilty or not, this young man's military career is over before it even really began, even if the charges prove to be totally false.
Makes one wonder if "conduct unbecoming an officer" could somehow have been involved...
"Maybe Lonnie doesn't know the difference between his rifle and his gun"
I don't see how, as one is for fightin' and one is for fun...
Here is a brief bio sketch of Cadet Story who regardless of guilt or innocence has a career that ended before it began:
Hometown:
Poplar Bluff, Missouri
High School:
Twin Rivers High School – 2002
High School Activities:
Football, Wrestling, Weightlifting, Marksmanship
Academic Major/Field of Study:
Computer Science
Military Awards:
Airborne Wings, National Defense Service Medal, Rifle Sharpshooter Badge
Cadet Achievements/Awards:
Dean's List, Indoor Obstacle Course Test Tab
Extra-Curricular Activities:
Grappling
Branch Preference:
Undecided
If any wish to communicate or commiserate here is his e-mail;
lonnie.story@usma.edu
http://www.westpointcadets.org/usma/2006/Story_Lonnie_06.htm
cadet and cadettes
Student rapes two Army officers.
Something stinks to high heaven here.
If he is acquitted, his career will continue as if nothing happened.
That's a fact, Jack.
Even if he is acquitted, just the stigma of being accused of such a terrible crime will follow him for the rest of his military career, and his life. Just ask anyone who has been accused of such.
Well, that's a comfort. ;)
That is very simple the "cadet" is literally government propoerty anything he/she does anywhere he/she does it is subject to/covered by the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) regardless of who else is involved.
You're seeing more and more of these stories. If this cadet is guilty, and note that he is a senior, on the cusp of graduating with an officer's commission, why in the world, I ask myself, did he do it? What was he thinking? Or was he thinking with his d***? The OldPossum can't understand this.
Only if the local authorities release jurisdiction. I had a soldier commit vehicular homicide. We had to fight the locals for jurisdiction because the homicide happened off post. Only way we were able to get it was because the night of crime began on post when he "borrowed his roommate's car without permission". I would think similar jurisdictional issues would pertain here if the crimes happened off post and the victims were no longer in the academy.
You know, I don't usually comment on things like these, but as a female cadet, you've pissed me off a bit.
First, I'm assuming that the AP screwed-up the story, and that the cadet was not on leave in October, rather on pass.
Second, this dude is a weight-lifter and a grappler and could easily physically over-power someone smaller than him, regardless of rank. The insinuations that the woman "wanted it" or that this wasn't rape if they knew each other is pure bullshit.
I saw the USMA SJA, COL Swope, an officer in a club of mine, shortly after this was pressed. COL Swope made slight allusions to what was going on. It's not something people rejoice in doing, and there are no witchhunts. The process will be followed, and it will be fair.
As for sex in the barracks now, it will generally get you a Brigade board, up to 90 hours, possible loss of rank, room restriction, etc. It happens, and people don't go crazy about it; they just walk the hours. So claims that the cadet from January claimed rape to avoid separation don't hold up.
As for the trou references, grow up. It's a an old, sorry joke.
Believe me I understand that sex happens at West Point. I did not insinuate the female officers "wanted it".
I'll 'assume' the cadet and officer accidentally bumped into each other on pass.
What was the then cadets' relationship to each other at West Point? Unless the male cadet is also a stalker something does not pass the smell test. Is it OK for upperclass female cadets to have sexual relations with underclassman? I hope not with plebes .... as for yearlings, cows and firsties .... that is life. BUT it takes two to tango and I saw many witch hunts at West Point .... usually the male cadet gets the short end of the stick.
I am sure that Col Robin Swope will make sure all of the "i"s are dotted and the "t"s crossed.
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