Air Force Maj. Gen. William T. Cooley, the former head of the Air Force Research Laboratory, was sentenced to a reprimand and a month’s monetary forfeiture for the sexual assault of his brother’s wife.
Cooley, who became the first Air Force general to be found guilty of sexual abuse in the military branch’s history, will forfeit $10,910 each month for five months, according to Military Times. His sentence was handed down Tuesday by Col. Christina M. Jimenez, the senior military judge in the case.
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He was accused of forcibly kissing his brother’s wife in a vehicle after an evening barbecue in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on August 12, 2018. The victim told the court that he asked her for a ride after the event because he had consumed alcohol. During the ride, she claimed Cooley told her that he fantasized about having sex with her before allegedly pressing her up against the driver’s side window, then forcibly kissing her and groping her through her clothes.
He was accused of one charge of sexual assault under Article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice with three specifications. He was found guilty of “kissing her on the lips and tongue, with an intent to gratify his sexual desire,” while he was found not guilty on the other two specifications of causing her to touch him over his clothing and touching her breasts and genitals through her clothes.
During the trial, 10 witnesses testified, including the victim, family members, and friends, while hundreds of election communication exchanges were introduced as evidence. Cooley did not testify at the trial and pleaded not guilty.
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“This case 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, the staff judge advocate for Cooley’s command, said in a statement.
