CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard 9th District is scheduled to convene a special court-martial in Cleveland, Monday, for a Coast Guardsman accused of attempted sexual assault.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Joshua M. Raymond is accused of violating Articles 80 (attempted sexual assault), 120 (abusive sexual contact), and 128 (assault consummated by battery) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for his actions toward a fellow service member during a party at or near Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, on Nov. 27, 2013.
Rear Adm. Fred Midgette, commander of the 9th District, referred Raymond’s case to general court-martial July 14, 2014, following an Article 32 hearing, held on June 11, 2014, which is similar to a civilian grand jury hearing. The case was re-referred to a special court-martial pursuant to a pre-trial agreement on Dec. 19, 2014
Raymond is an operations specialist assigned to the engineering division at Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan, located in Milwaukee.
Charges are accusations against the individual, and the accused is presumed innocent. The Coast Guard is committed to a fair proceeding in compliance with the UCMJ. It is Coast Guard policy to withhold the identity of reporting victims.
The special court martial will be open to the public. Members of the media or public interested in attending at 9 a.m. on Monday, January 5, 2014 at the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building in Cleveland can contact the Coast Guard 9th District External Affairs Office at (216) 310-2608.