NEWS

Charges: Dover AFB men kept girl on base for sex

Jerry Smith
The News Journal
Two airmen stationed at Dover Air Force Base have been charges with sexual abuse of a minor after an investigation into child exploitation by the Justice Department.

Federal prosecutors have charged two airmen stationed at Dover Air Force Base with sexually abusing a teenage runaway who stayed with them in base housing for several months.

David C. Weiss, acting United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced on Thursday that an investigation into the child exploitation and sexual abuse of a minor led to the arrests of Airman First Class Dalian Washington, 25, of Philadelphia, and Airman First Class Akeem Beazer, 21, of Pompano Beach, Florida.

Lt. Katherine Vaughn, with media relations at Dover Air Force Base, had no immediate comment about the status of the two airmen on Friday, but an official statement was released by DAFB officials:

"Dover Air Force Base leadership is aware that Federal prosecutors have charged two Dover airmen with sexual assault of an underage female. We are cooperating fully with local law enforcement agencies as they continue their investigation."

The investigation began after the girl – who was 15 years old at the time but has since turned 16 – told a social worker last month that she had stayed on base and had sex with the two airmen, according to court documents.

The girl was then interviewed by an agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and a Delaware State Police detective on March 16. According to the complaint, the detective knew the girl prior to the interview “as a child with a troubled home life who often lived on the street.”

Washington and Beazer were arrested on March 31 and made their initial court appearances in United States District Court that day. Both waived their rights to preliminary and detention hearings and will remain in custody pending further proceedings.

Washington has been charged with sex trafficking of a child and sexual abuse of a minor, while Beazer was charged with sexual abuse of a minor.

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The girl told investigators that she ran away from home in September 2016 when she was 15 and met up with a man she knew and told him she needed a place to stay. The man offered to hook her up with a friend of his who was an airman, but that she would have to have sex with him.

According to the criminal complaints, Airman Washington picked the girl up at the Dover Division of Motor Vehicles from a man he believed to be her pimp in exchange for $20. Washington told investigators that he met the girl through a man who had fathered a child with a woman Washington was seeing. According to the complaint, Washington said the woman he was seeing did not want to have sex, but told him she could get him someone. The other man told Washington he knew someone who was “trickin,” and that if Washington gave him $20, they would be “good to go.”

According to the criminal complaint, when asked by investigators if he paid the $20, Washington replied, “yea, but I didn’t feel right just doin’ that so I got to know her first.”

Washington reportedly took the girl to his dorm room on base, where she stayed, off and on, for several months and had unprotected sex with him several times.

According to the complaint, the airmen enlisted Beazer to help look after the girl, then Beazer began having sex with her as well. Both airmen brought the girl food from the dining hall, the complaint stated.

According to the complaint, Washington exchanged naked photos with the girl. Investigators recovered 157 naked images of her, along with a video of her performing oral sex on the airman recorded in August 2016.

When Beazer was interviewed, he reportedly said that he met the girl outside a Safeway one night after he received a Facebook message asking for his help. Beazer said he did not know the sender, but he received a subsequent message from Washington stating that he needed Beazer to help him. According to the complaint, Beazer took the minor back to Washington’s room.

Two days later, Beazer reportedly took the girl to his room, and as he was playing video games with his brothers, turned around and saw the girl naked on his bed. Beazer told investigators he then had sex with the girl.

According to the complaint, Beazer told investigators the second time he had sex with the girl was in Washington’s room. Beazer also told investigators that he had sex with the girl three other times outside of Dover Air Force Base.

Beazer reportedly told investigators that one instance was at her father’s house and that he was there about five minutes because during intercourse, he observed the girl’s stomach and realized she was pregnant.

If convicted, Washington faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 10 years, and up to 20 years, in prison. Beazer faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

According to a Department of Justice release, the case is being investigated by the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Delaware State Police, the Delaware Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth L. Van Pelt is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

Jerry Smith can be reached at jsmith17@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JerrySmithTNJ.