A former Detroit police sergeant accused of being a serial rapist is now facing charges in a sixth alleged sexual assault.
Benjamin Wagner, 68, is charged in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl in October 2002. Prosecutors say the girl was walking to the bus stop when Wagner approached her, pointed a gun at her and ordered her from the scene before sexually assaulting her.
Wagner has been charged with one count of kidnapping, two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.
On Thursday, Wagner was arraigned on charges in five alleged sexual assaults from 1999-2003.
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Wagner is charged in five separate cases involving the sexual assault and kidnapping of girls and women between the ages of 15 and 23 from 1999 to 2003 in Northwest Detroit. A conviction in any one of the cases could earn him a life sentence in prison.
Magistrate Delphia Burton denied bond, remanding Wagner to the Wayne County Jail. Given his former status as a police officer, he will be held in protective custody and monitored in a single-man cell.
Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington said this is necessary for Wagner’s own safety.
"Inmates, I, I should say, that will, uh, end up in protective custody, uh, for various things, uh, sexual abuse, things like that, If they're well if they're well known, if they've had some high profile, uh, action where the news media had been, uh, uh, mentioning them quite a bit and we have a 24 hour watch over them. It, it eliminates the fact that they could things could happen to them while they're in our custody," Washington said.
The details of the cases were laid out at a press conference by Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison.
"The deplorable fact in this case is that the person we are charging has led a double life as a law enforcement officer and serial rapist," Worthy said.
See the entire press conference from the prosecutor's office in the video below
According to Worthy, Wagner utilized isolation and force, was armed with a handgun, and threatened the victims' lives as he sexually assaulted them.
Wayne County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Carley Kocks said Wagner is a clear danger to the community.
"Here, your honor, we're dealing with five cases with very, very similar motivation in all of them. In each case, former Sergeant Wagner sexually assaulted these five young girls and women at gunpoint," Kocks said.
Wagner was employed by the Detroit Police Department from 1989 until he retired in 2017. He worked in the 10th and 2nd precincts, as well as investigative operations, tactical services, and the commercial auto theft unit, receiving several awards and commendations.
"Defendant Wagner's actions do not represent the integrity, values, or mission of the Detroit Police Department," Bettison said.
Wagner moved to Greenville, North Carolina, after his retirement. He was arrested there last week and extradited to Detroit on Wednesday.
Defense attorney Robert Kinney said Wagner cooperated with DNA testing and was prepared to surrender before his arrest.
"These cases are at least 20 years old," Kinney said.
"He's done everything he could to cooperate and and at the same time ensure his own constitutional rights," Kinney said.
These cases stem from nearly 11,000 untested sex assault kits from 1984 to 2009 that were found in a Detroit warehouse in 2009.
In all, Wagner is facing 14 separate charges in the five cases: five counts of kidnapping, eight counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, and one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. According to the prosecutor's office, despite having a firearm in all the alleged sexual assaults, there are no felony firearm charges because of Michigan's statute of limitations.
The breakdown of the charges and cases is as follows:
Case 1 - Nov. 10, 1999 Prosecutors say a 17-year-old took a bus to a stop near the home of a friend in the area of Chalfont and Mark Twain on the city's northwest side. Wagner approached her, pointed a gun at her, ordered her from the scene, and sexually assaulted her. He is charged with one count of kidnapping and three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Case 2 - Jan. 31, 2000 Prosecutors say a 23-year-old woman left her home to walk to a store in the 184000 block of Wyoming. Wagner walked toward her, pointed a gun at her, ordered her from the scene, and sexually assaulted her. He is charged with one count of kidnapping and one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Case 3 - Sept. 28, 2000 According to prosecutors, a 15-year-old girl was walking to a bus on her way to school in the 19800 block of Florence when Wagner grabbed her arm, put a gun in her face, moved her from the scene, and assaulted her. He is facing charges of kidnapping, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, and third-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Case 4 - Nov. 19, 2000 Prosecutors say a 20-year-old woman was walking to a friend's house in the 8500 block of West McNichols when Wagner attacked her from behind and put a gun to her back. He moved her to another area and sexually assaulted her. He is charged with one count of kidnapping and one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Case 5 - April 15, 2003 Prosecutors say a 16-year-old girl was walking to catch a bus to school in the 19000 block of Ferguson when Wagner approached her with a handgun, removed her from the scene, and raped her. He is charged with one count of kidnapping and one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
