Former US serviceman jailed for sexually assaulting colleague at RAF Mildenhall

A former US serviceman has been jailed for sexually assaulting a colleague at a Suffolk airbase.

James Loubeau, 37, a former US Air Force member, pleaded guilty to two counts of abusive sexual contact, which was on May 4, 2019 at RAF Mildenhall.

The US Department of Justice said Loubeau, of Miami, and the victim met at a bar on the base where the victim consumed several alcoholic drinks.

Later, a friend of the victim accompanied her back to her on-base housing and helped her get ready for bed.

The friend then left and the victim fell asleep alone.

At about 2.30am, the victim awoke to find Loubeau on top of her in her bed.

The Department of Justice said the victim almost immediately called two friends to say she had been raped.

Surveillance video captured Loubeau after he left the victim’s room to return to his dorm room.

A medical examination revealed the victim had injuries consistent with sexual contact, and DNA testing later linked Loubeau to the sexual assault.

On Thursday, he was sentenced to five years in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release.

Loubeau was discharged from the air force in March 2020.

The charges were brought under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA), which establishes US jurisdiction over certain offenses committed abroad by, among others, persons who served with the armed forces but who are no longer subject to military prosecution.

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the FBI investigated the case.