U.S. Marine James Hale III has been sentenced to serve 26 years in federal prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting an Anchorage woman.
Alaska Dispatch News reports the 35-year-old former staff sergeant was convicted of first-degree sexual assault, kidnapping and other misdemeanors on Thursday. During the time of the rape, which took place in August 2013, Hale was stationed in Anchorage. According to Anchorage police, Hale was dishonorably discharged and stripped of his rank following a court-martial.
Special Victims Unit detectives originally investigated the case on August 26, 2013, when they investigated the rape of an unidentified woman in the Spenard neighborhood the previous night.
“It was reported to police that the adult female was driven by the suspect to a location in Spenard and held at gunpoint while the male sexually assaulted her,” said the police. They went on to say the woman did not know her attacker.
Hale was stationed in Anchorage in recruiting duty, processing incoming recruits, thought he was not acting as a recruiter when the crimes occurred, police said.
Eventually, Hale was identified as a suspect by Detective Brett Sarber. Although Hale was charged and arrested in February 2014, the Marine Corps asked to take control over the prosecution of the case. The police say the Marines collaborated with local law enforcement and judicial agencies to convict Hale.
Defense attorney Capt. Aaron Stark claims he was not authorized to comment on the court-martial. Hale will remain at Anchorage Correctional Complex until he in transferred to a federal prison by the USMC.
