THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 28, 1996 TAG: 9602280417
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: SAN DIEGO LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
A Navy cook accused of groping and harassing an enlisted woman on a commercial airline flight from Norfolk, Va., to California was convicted Tuesday in military court of indecent assault.
Chief Petty Officer George Powell had pleaded guilty Monday to simple assault, but the prosecutor sought a conviction on more serious charges. Military court allows prosecutors to continue with a trial even after a guilty plea. Powell, an admitted alcoholic, had told military judge Cmdr. Nels Kelstrom that he was so drunk on the Oct. 27, 1995, commercial flight that he couldn't remember anything that happened.
He had pleaded guilty to simple assault, drunk and disorderly conduct and disrespect to a commissioned officer. He was convicted on five counts of indecent assault.
Powell was to be sentenced this morning. Powell was accused of groping a 23-year-old 3rd class petty officer sitting next to him on the flight from Virginia to California, where they had attended the decommissioning of the Samuel Gompers.
One count of the indecent assault charges stemmed from accusations Powell grabbed the breast of another woman, also a 3rd class petty officer, in January 1995 as she helped prepare breakfast aboard the Samuel Gompers. The woman testified Monday that she never reported the incident because she knew that Powell, who was drunk, was an alcoholic and she pitied him.
KEYWORDS: U.S. NAVY SEXUAL HARASSMENT CONVICTION ASSAULT by CNB