GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office says a U.S. Army sergeant is facing criminal charges after he was accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl who attended a high school where he worked as a recruiter.
Sgt. Randy Loushin, 31, was issued a summons on Tuesday on suspicion of misdemeanor sexual assault in connection with allegations he had sex on multiple occasions with a Central High School student.
Debbie Cannon, public affairs chief for the Denver Army Recruiting Battalion, said the Army is conducting its own investigation. Cannon said Loushin has been removed from the Grand Junction Army Career Center and placed in an administrative position while the investigation is ongoing.
“We’re accountable to the American public, and we want them to know we take it seriously,” she said.
Loushin could not be located for comment Thursday.
The sheriff’s office launched an investigation on Monday after an Army captain told Central’s school resource officer he was looking into allegations that Loushin had sexual relations with a student, according to a sheriff’s report.
The girl told authorities that she and the recruiter texted each other because she wanted to join the Army, the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reported Thursday (https://tinyurl.com/otw5mfd ).
The girl said they met up later at the Army recruiting office and had sex.
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Information from: The Daily Sentinel, https://www.gjsentinel.com
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