Former Detroit police sergeant linked to another kidnapping and rape from decades ago, prosecutor says
Former Detroit police officer charged with rapes, kidnappings
He was said to have led a double life, someone who was supposed to protect and serve, but instead, former Detroit Police Sergeant Benjamin Wagner, 68, has now been charged with a litany of counts of kidnapping and first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A former Detroit police sergeant accused of kidnapping and raping multiple victims while he was employed by the department is facing more charges.
Benjamin Wagner, 68, has been charged with kidnapping, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, and third-degree criminal sexual conduct stemming from an alleged 2002 crime involving a 14-year-old. This is the sixth kidnapping and rape Wagner has been linked to.
According to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, the newly identified victim was walking to a school bus in the 15000 block of Trinity Street on Oct. 15, 2002 when Wagner allegedly pointed a gun at her, ordered her away from the scene, and sexually assaulted her.
'Led a double life': Retired Detroit police sergeant accused of kidnapping and raping victims while cop
A retired Detroit police sergeant allegedly led a double life that involved kidnapping and raping multiple victims while he worked for the department in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
"Our survivor in this case was only 14 years old when Benjamin Wagner allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted her. She is now 37 years old. She has lived with what happened to her for 23 years and has now bravely decided that she wants to be a part of holding him accountable," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said.
He's currently being held in the Wayne County Jail with no bond.
The backstory:
This alleged crime matches the same manner in which Wagner is accused of approaching the other victims, who were all young women and girls.
According to Worthy, the alleged sex assaults happened between 1999 and 2003 and involved victims between the ages of 15 and 23. Wagner worked for DPD from 1989 until he retired in 2017.
"The deplorable fact in this case is that the person that we are charging today has led a double life as a law enforcement officer and a serial rapist," Worthy said.
Worthy said these crimes had been under investigation for years, after the five victims' sexual assault kits were found in a Detroit police warehouse in 2009.
Wagner was arrested recently in North Carolina, where he moved after retiring from DPD in 2017.
Timeline:
According to Worthy, the first case happened on Nov. 10, 1999. The 17-year-old victim was walking in the area of Chalfonte and Mark Twain after work when Wagner allegedly pointed a gun at her, ordered her from the scene, and sexually assaulted her.
The second crime happened on Jan. 31, 2000, when Wagner allegedly pointed a gun at a 23-year-old victim's head in the 18400 block of Wyoming, ordered her away from the area, and sexually assaulted her.
On Sept. 28 of that same year, Wagner allegedly assaulted another victim in the 19800 block of Florence. In this case, he is accused of grabbing the 15-year-old victim as she walked to a school bus stop. Worthy said Wagner pointed a gun at her face, took her from the scene, and sexually assaulted her.
Another victim was sexually assaulted on Nov. 19, 2000, when a 20-year-old woman walking to a friend's home in the 8500 block of West McNichols was allegedly attacked from behind by Wagner. Worthy said Wagner held a gun to the victim's back, took her to another area, and sexually assaulted her.
He's also charged in connection with an April 15, 2003, crime when he allegedly emerged from an alley and kidnapped a 16-year-old girl as she walked to a school bus stop in the 19000 block of Ferguson. Like the other victims, Worthy said she was brought to another location and sexually assaulted by Wagner, who also allegedly had a handgun.
What you can do:
If you believe you have been a victim of Wagner, contact Detroit police at 313-596-1950.
The Source: A press release from the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office and previous reporting was used.