PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Coast Guard Atlantic Area is scheduled to convene a general court-martial at the Coast Guard Legal Service Command Norfolk Feb. 29, 2016 for a Coast Guard member accused of sexual assault and making false official statements.
Petty Officer 1st Class Jay Wade, 31, is accused of the following violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice:
- Article 107 – two specifications false official statements
- Article 120 – two specifications sexual assault
Vice Adm. William Lee, commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area, referred Wade’s case to general court-martial on Aug. 4, 2015, following an Article 32 hearing completed on June 25, 2015. An Article 32 hearing is similar to a grand jury hearing.
The charges follow a 10-month investigation by Coast Guard Investigative Service revealing that Petty Officer Wade allegedly committed a sexual act upon the reporting victim without consent. The reporting victim reported the incidents to Wade’s command in August 2014.
Wade was assigned to Cutter Northland homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia, when the alleged misconduct occurred.
Charges are accusations against the individual and the accused is presumed innocent unless proven guilty by the military justice system.
It is Coast Guard policy to withhold the identity of the reporting victim.