Former Detroit police sergeant arraigned on sexual assault charges

A retired Detroit police sergeant appeared in court for the first time on Thursday and was remanded to jail, a week after he was charged with 15 counts of kidnapping and rape in five separate sexual assault cases. 

Prosecutors say 68-year-old Benjamin Wagner sexually assaulted five girls and women between 1999 and 2003.

"Although these cases took place some time ago, the facts and circumstances of them are extremely disturbing and egregious," said Carley Kocks, Wayne County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney.

Wagner is accused of taking each victim to an isolated area at gunpoint before assaulting them.

Kocks pushed to deny Wagner's bond, calling him a flight risk.

"He lives out of state in North Carolina. He works at an airport. He does have access to NCIC, and he has the ability to get on a plane whenever he can," said Kocks.

In his request for bond, defense attorney Robert Kinney cited Wagner's lifelong connections to the city, his marriage, and that he came to Detroit voluntarily when charges were being considered before his arrest, as reasons for supervised release.

"That doesn't mean that he's running or that he's a flight risk. He's done everything he could to cooperate, and at the same time, ensuring his own constitutional rights," said Kinney.

In her decision to remand Wagner to jail without bail, 36th District Court Magistrate Delphia Burton said the similarities of the cases suggest there was deliberate intent to hurt the victims.

"Even though it's been quite some time when these allegations arose, it appears that there was a similar MO or they arose under similar circumstances," said Burton.

Records show that Wagner joined the Detroit Police Department in 1998 and retired from the force in 2017.  

Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison called the evidence in the case disturbing, saying in a statement, "It represents a deep betrayal to the oath us officers take as a symbol of public faith, as it violates the trust placed in law enforcement. Mr. Wagner's actions do not represent the integrity, values or mission held by the officers of the Detroit Police Department."

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy also released a statement, calling the case a multi-year journey to justice, saying, "Our survivors were between the ages of 15 and 23 when they were attacked and sexually assaulted. This case is especially disturbing to us because the evidence will show that a then-Detroit Police officer is the rapist of the young women and girls in the cases that we charge today."

Wagner will next appear in court for a probable cause hearing on April 7, followed by a preliminary examination on April 14.