00:00Today we are announcing charges in five cases where five young women and girls ranging from the ages of 15
00:07to 23 were allegedly sexually assaulted and kidnapped and this was done by gunpoint.
00:14The deplorable fact in this case is that the person that we are charging today has led a double life
00:20as a law enforcement officer and a serial rapist, ex-Police Sergeant, ex-Detroit Police Sergeant Benjamin Wagner.
00:28In these cases we are alleging that Wagner sexually assaulted his young victims and the commonalities were they were walking
00:34to school or home from work or simply going to a friend's house.
00:39These happened in the early morning hours mostly all of Detroit's northwest side.
00:45He utilized isolation and force. He was armed with a handgun in each and every case.
00:50He threatened their lives if they reported and he did not use a condom in the assault.
00:55These kidnappings and sexual assaults occurred between the years of 1999 and 2003.
01:02The defendant we are charging today began his employment with the Detroit Police Department in 1989.
01:08He worked in various locations within the department including but not limited to the 10th and 2nd precincts, I believe
01:17he was at the 10th precinct when he retired, investigative operations, tactical services unit, criminal investigations, and the commercial auto
01:25theft unit known as CATS.
01:27Benjamin Walker is now 68 years old. He received several awards and commendations and retired from the Detroit Police Department
01:33in 2017.
01:34He then moved to Greenville, North Carolina.
01:38We arrested him there on March the 17th of this year and he has waived extradition.
01:44He is expected back in Michigan soon. I believe we are going to get him on Tuesday.
01:48And his arraignment has been scheduled in the 36th District Court on Thursday, March the 26th of this year.
01:55The event has been put on Tuesday.
01:55Let's see.
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