DETROIT (FOX 2) - A retired Detroit police sergeant allegedly led a double life that involved kidnapping and raping multiple victims while he worked for the department.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office announced a slew of felony charges against 68-year-old Benjamin Wagner on Thursday, stemming from crimes that happened decades ago.
According to Prosecutor Kym 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.
Benjamin Wagner (Pitt County Jail)
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.
The final crime that Wagner has been charged with occurred on April 15, 2003, when Wagner 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.
It is unclear if Wagner had any contact with the victims while he was on duty.
The charges:
Wagner is now facing 14 charges stemming from these alleged crimes, including multiple counts of kidnapping and varying degrees of criminal sexual conduct.
Worthy said that although he was allegedly armed with a gun during the assaults, he cannot face weapons charges because of statutes of limitations, which have passed.
What's next:
Wagner was arrested in Greenville, N.C., where he moved after he retired from the Detroit Police Department. He is currently awaiting extradition to Michigan.
Dig deeper:
These kidnappings and sexual assaults have been the focus of investigators for years.
Worthy said the five victims involved in these cases all had sexual assault kits that were found in a Detroit police warehouse in 2009.
What they're saying:
Worthy described the allegations against Wagner as "disturbing, unsettling, and infuriating," while Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison said the accusations "absolutely shock the conscious."
Bettison also noted that "Wagner's actions do not represent the integrity and the values and the mission of the officers of the Detroit Police Department."
What you can do:
If you believe you have been a victim of Wagner, contact Detroit police at 313-596-1950.
The Source: FOX 2 attended Kym Worthy's press conference.
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