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Michigan authorities have recently unveiled a series of alarming charges against a former Detroit police sergeant, accusing him of leading a “double life” as a serial rapist.
Benjamin Wagner, 68, is facing 14 charges, which include eight counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and five counts of kidnapping. These charges relate to alleged assaults on five young women and girls over a span from 1999 to 2003.
The ages of the victims at the time of the alleged incidents ranged from 15 to 23 years old.
“The appalling reality of this case is that the individual we are charging today has lived a double life as a law enforcement officer and a serial rapist,” stated Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. “These charges represent the culmination of a lengthy pursuit of justice. The alleged details of this case are deeply disturbing, unsettling, and infuriating.”
A mugshot of Benjamin Wagner, undated, is available. (Courtesy of FOX 2 Detroit)
Authorities said Wagner targeted victims during the early morning hours on Detroit’s northwest side while they were walking to school, home from work, or visiting friends.
In each attack, he allegedly approached the victims from behind, pointed a pistol at them, forced them to an isolated location, and sexually assaulted them without a condom, according to Worthy.
The attacks happened just miles from his home, though officials denied his house being the “isolated location” the victims were brought to.
Prosecutors and Detroit Police announced the charges at a news conference. (FOX 2 Detroit)
Wagner served with the Detroit Police Department (DPD) from 1989 until he retired with commendations in 2017, working in various units including criminal investigations and tactical services.
The breakthrough in the case was the result of a multi-year investigation connected to the 2009 discovery of more than 11,000 untested sexual assault kits abandoned in a DPD warehouse.
Wagner was arrested earlier this month in Greenville, North Carolina — where he had been living since he left the department, and waived extradition to face charges in Michigan.
Benjamin Wagner is pictured at a virtual court hearing via Zoom. (FOX 2 Detroit)
He will not face time for potential weapons charges associated with the case, as the statute of limitations for that crime in Michigan is only six years.
The five victims who joined the case promptly reported the crimes when they happened and had sexual assault kits collected at that time.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy speaks at a news conference about the case. (FOX 2 Detroit)
Officials urged any other potential victims who may have been assaulted by Wagner to contact the Detroit Police Department’s Sex Crimes Unit, noting cases may have gone unreported.
Worthy did not confirm if Wagner had any contact with the victims while he was on duty, or had ever been the subject of internal affairs investigations or other criminal allegations during his career.