Photo: U.S. Air Force
The first-ever full court-martial of an Air Force general resulted in a conviction. A military judge found Major General William Cooley guilty on one of three specifications of sexual assault.
The charges against Cooley stem from a 2008 incident in which he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman who was giving him a ride after a barbecue in New Mexico.
The woman, who is an unnamed civilian, said that Cooley "pressed her up against the driver's side window, forcibly kissed and groped her through her clothes."
Cooley was removed from his post as commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory after the allegations were made in 2020.
Cooley faces up to seven years in jail. However, because he was only convicted on a single specification of "kissing (the victim) on the lips and tongue, with an intent to gratify his sexual desire," he does not face a loss of rank for his actions, an Air Force spokeswoman told the Dayton Daily News.
"This case clearly demonstrates the commitment of Air Force leaders to fully investigate the facts and hold Airmen of any rank accountable for their actions when they fail to uphold Air Force standards," Col. Eric Mejia, staff judge advocate for Air Force Materiel Command, said in a statement.