WASHINGTON – A former CIA officer accused of drugging and sexually assaulting at least two dozen women during various foreign postings pleaded guilty Tuesday in Washington to federal sexual abuse charges that could put him behind bars for up to 30 years. .
Brian Jeffrey Raymond kept nearly 500 videos and photographs he took of naked and unconscious women, including many in which he can be seen opening his eyelids, touching them or straddling them, prosecutors say.
The images date back to 2006 and follow much of Raymond’s career, with victims in Mexico, Peru and other countries.
The case was just the latest embarrassment for the CIA, which in recent months has seen a reckoning over its often secretive and outdated handling of allegations of sexual misconduct within the spy agency.
The Associated Press found that at least two dozen women have come forward to tell authorities and Congress about sexual assaults, unwanted touching and what they say are CIA efforts to silence them.
Brian Raymond saved hundreds of videos and photographs he took of naked and unconscious women.
A CIA trainee officer was convicted in August of assault and battery for wrapping a scarf around a female colleague’s neck and trying to kiss her inside a stairwell at the agency’s headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
The CIA has publicly condemned Raymond’s crimes, and CIA Director William Burns in May launched a series of reforms to streamline claims, support victims and more quickly discipline those implicated in misconduct.
“As this case shows, we are committed to collaborating with law enforcement to ensure justice is served,” the CIA said in a statement. “In addition, we take any allegations of sexual assault or sexual harassment very seriously and have taken important steps to ensure we maintain a safe, inclusive and respectful environment for our workforce.”
Brian Raymond, a former employee of the United States embassy in Mexico, pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of two women. FBI
Raymond’s defense attorney did not respond to requests for comment.
Prosecutors described Raymond, 47, as an experienced sexual predator who kept detailed accounting of potential victims organized by name, ethnicity and notes about their physical characteristics.
Investigators who searched his devices found an incriminating online search history for phrases such as “Ambien and alcohol and passing out” and “vodka and valium.” In an email sent to an online pharmacy, Raymond wrote: “Hi, do you have chloral hydrate for insomnia?”
When he was arrested three years ago, Raymond was stationed in Mexico City, where he met women through dating apps and invited them for drinks at his rented embassy apartment.
The San Diego native, who speaks fluent Spanish and Mandarin, wasn’t discovered until 2020 after a naked woman Raymond met on Tinder screamed for help from her balcony, prompting a concerned neighbor to call authorities.
U.S. officials searched Raymond’s electronic devices and began identifying victims, all of whom described experiencing some type of memory loss during their time with him.
Brian Raymond had been stationed in Mexico City, where he met women through dating apps and invited them back to his rented apartment at the embassy. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Prosecutors intended to call up to 14 alleged victims during the trial.
Raymond withdrew an earlier guilty plea in the case last year when he successfully challenged the admissibility of certain photographs that the judge ruled were illegally seized from his cellphones after agents forced him to reveal his password.
However, other images stored on Raymond’s iCloud account were supported.
Raymond pleaded guilty to four of 25 criminal charges, including sexual abuse, coercion and transportation of obscene material.
As part of the deal announced Tuesday, he faces 24 to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced in September.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn