Indian charged with sexual abuse while working as US military contractor in Afghanistan

An Indian national has been charged with sexually assaulting an American national while working as a US military contractor in Afghanistan. Lokesh Naik, 35, was charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia on November 6 with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact, Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said.

US military authorities in Afghanistan arrested Naik on November 8 and his initial appearance was held before US Magistrate Judge Harvey via video teleconference, at which time he was ordered detained and removed to the United States, as per provisions of the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA). Naik arrived at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurston near New Jersey by a military transport aircraft in the custody of Deputy US Marshals.

According to the indictment, while working as an employee of a US military contractor on Operating Base Fenty in Afghanistan in August, Naik allegedly entered the room of a 24-year-old US national and sexually assaulted her by force.

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