WASHINGTON – A former CIA officer accused of drugging and sexually assaulting at least two dozen women during various overseas postings pleaded guilty Tuesday in Washington to federal sex abuse charges that could have sent him to prison for up to 30 years.
Brian Jeffrey Raymond kept nearly 500 videos and photos he took of naked and unconscious women, including many in which he could be seen opening his eyelids, groping or straddling them, prosecutors said.
The image dates to 2006 and traces most of Raymond’s career, with victims in Mexico, Peru and other countries.
The case is just the latest embarrassment for the CIA, which in recent months has seen a reckoning over its often secretive and antiquated handling of claims of sexual misconduct within the spy agency.
The Associated Press has found that at least two dozen women have come forward to tell authorities and Congress about sexual assault, unwanted touching and what they contend is a CIA effort to silence them.
Brian Raymond kept hundreds of videos and photos he took of naked and unconscious women.
A CIA trainee officer was convicted in August of assault and battery charges for wrapping a scarf around a colleague’s neck and trying to kiss her in a stairwell at the agency’s headquarters in Langley, Va.
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 involved in wrongdoing.
“As this case demonstrates, we are committed to engaging with law enforcement to ensure justice is served,” the CIA said in a statement. “Furthermore, we take any allegations of sexual assault or sexual harassment seriously and have taken important steps to ensure we maintain a safe, inclusive and respectful environment for our workforce.”
Brian Raymond, a former employee at the US Embassy in Mexico, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two women. F.B.I
Raymond’s defense attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
Prosecutors described 47-year-old Raymond as an experienced sexual predator who kept detailed accounts of potential victims organized by name, ethnicity and notes on their physical characteristics.
Investigators combing through his device found an incriminating online search history for phrases like “Ambien and alcohol and passed out” and “vodka & valium.” In an email to the online pharmacy, Raymond wrote, “Hello, do you have chloral hydrate for insomnia?”
When he was arrested three years ago, Raymond was stationed in Mexico City, where he would meet women on dating apps and invite them back to his embassy-leased apartment for drinks.
The San Diego native, who is fluent in Spanish and Mandarin, was only found in 2020 after a naked woman Raymond met on Tinder screamed for help from her balcony, prompting concerned neighbors to call authorities.
US officials sifted through Raymond’s electronic devices and began identifying victims, all of whom described suffering some form of memory loss during their time with him.
Brian Raymond was stationed in Mexico City, where he would meet women through a dating app and invite them back to his embassy-leased apartment. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Prosecutors intend to call a total of 14 alleged victims during the trial.
Raymond withdrew an earlier guilty plea in the case last year because he successfully challenged the admissibility of certain photos that a judge ruled were illegally seized from his cell phone after agents forced him to hand over his passcode.
Other images stored on Raymond’s iCloud account were accepted however.
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 between 24 and 30 years in prison when he is sentenced in September.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
