Air Marshal Accused of Rape at Gunpoint

[RamboLiberal]

Source: CBS News

A U.S. federal air marshal was arrested Saturday, accused of raping a woman at gunpoint inside a Seattle hotel room while on a layover for his job.

Lecheton "Omar" Settles, 30, has been charged with rape in the first degree and is being held at the King County jail with bail set at $250,000.

"We are shocked that a law enforcement officer would be accused of a crime this serious," said King County Sheriff spokesperson Sgt. John Urquhart.

According to court documents, a 24-year-old female escort told police Settles contacted her Friday around 11 p.m. through the website Backpage.com. She agreed to come to his room on the fifth floor at the Marriott hotel located across the street from the Sea-Tac Airport to perform a private "show" which would include a back massage and a dance in lingerie for the cost of $180.

The woman claims Settles was fully dressed when she arrived but after coming out of the bathroom, where she had changed into her "outfit," she alleges Settles was standing completely naked with his government issued air marshal badge hanging from his neck and a gun in one hand. He then, allegedly, said "U.S. Marshal, you have to do what I tell you." The woman told police she began to cry and Settles instructed her to get on the bed where he held her down, pushing on her chest, as he raped her for about 10 minutes, wearing a condom, with the gun next to her on the bed.


Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-20003133-10391695.html?tag=stack

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Sick f*ck.

[truthisfreedom]

1. F***ing way to wreck the image of the Air Marshalls. We are the terrorists now.

Cripes.

[liberation]

7. Interesting tidbit: there have been more Air Marshals arrested for breaking the law...

... than people who have been arrested by the Air Marshals.

There are more than 4000 people employed by the Air Marshals, and they have a budget of over $800 Million. Total number of arrests per year: 4. Not 4 per Marshal, 4 total for the whole force.

That works out to one arrest per 1000 Marshals, and each arrest basically ends up costing $200 Million.


Granted arrests is not a metric to measure the success of any law enforcement agency. But it seems that in our country, we have devolved to be in a situation in which we are willing to pay for the illusion of security. We're more interested in narrative than reality, and we much rather implement all sorts of overhead and relinquish our liberties in order to not have to compromise or deal with our problems head on from the get go.

[Ian David]

31. Maybe we should just allow federal agents to travel with their guns for free...

... in exchange for volunteering to be air marshal on a flight they were going to take anyway.

[harmonicon]

34. illusion of security is exactly it

That's what people in the US have been paying for since the end of WWII. White do you think white flight is/was? The creation of suburbs designed (and in ways desired) for purposes of alienation have played a large role in destroying our country.... but, what the fuck? What can we do about it?

[frylock]

2. we are shocked that a law enforcement officer would be accused of a crime this serious..

please... :eyes:

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[HopeHoops]

4. There's a difference between a stripper and a hooker. She's still beyond "escort".

There are legitimate escort services that don't include any sexual activity. The private "show" strippers are definitely out there, but not for sex acts. Yes, there are hookers advertising as "escorts", but this doesn't sound like one. No, I've never used any of these "services" myself, but I have known a shitload of guys who have (all three, actually).

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[liberation]

8. Well call me a law abiding citizen, anyone sexually assaulting a woman is still a rapist

regardless of the situation.

Your tap dancing is placing you in dangerous proximity of blaming the victim territory. BTW

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[callous taoboy]

26. Spot on, liberation. What's next, women out after dark are asking for it?

[HopeHoops]

10. My real point is that "escorts" do just that - they serve as arm candy for a public function.

There was a great picture from one of our company Christmas parties (15+ years ago). Someone took shots of every couple that arrived. They were all pretty good and every couple looked like they belonged together except for one - the nastiest asshole in the company. He couldn't keep a relationship for more than about half a date so he hired an escort. He wasn't very tall, but she was. He's standing there in a rather stiff pose looking every bit the idiot he is and she's in a half-turn supermodel pose. We all got a good laugh at his expense. But hey, that's what he paid for.

As for going to the room, that's a gray area. If they're going to do more than strip and a lap dance, they deserve to get paid for the extra services. No matter what you think of the profession, even a prostitute doesn't deserve to be raped at gun point. No woman should experience that, weapon or not.

[notadmblnd]

12. No, you're right, no one deserves to be raped at gun point or any other time

I just said I was shocked that a woman would go to a strange man's hotel room (definitely a possible dangerous situation) in the middle of the night, then cry rape. I know if I were going to a hotel room of a man I didn't know, in the middle of the night alone, I would expect sex to be part of whatever is going on there.

[polly7]

14. ???

If she'd refused and he'd used that gun, what would you think?

[notadmblnd]

15. The article doesn't say that though, does it?

I swear, some of you people are just looking for someone or some reason to go off. Glad I could provide you all with an outlet for your outrage today.

[polly7]

17. Neither does it say that because she was a sex-trade worker

he should be entitled to terrorize and rape her with the threat of being shot. Here's what happens when law enforcement doesn't take these women seriously. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16755396// If they'd listened to the women who were raped and survived dozens of others (daughters, sisters, mothers) would still be alive. Good for her and how brave she was going to the police. The freak probably wouldn't have stopped at one.

eta: I see you just added to your post, no .. not looking for someone to go off on or even outraged. Just sad to see how little these women are valued as human beings.

[notadmblnd]

20. And I didn't say he was entitled to terrorize her because of her trade either

All I ever said is, I was surprised. I made no judgment in regards to either of them, you all have made the judgment.

[polly7]

22. Mutually agreed upon sex does not equal rape so I don't know why

you'd be surprised a crime was treated as a crime. "I know if I were going to a hotel room of a man I didn't know, in the middle of the night alone, I would expect sex to be part of whatever is going on there." According to the article, it wasn't sex, it was forcible rape at gunpoint.

[notadmblnd]

23. Again, you read something into my statement I didn't say.

I did not say I was surprised that a crime would be treated as a crime. I said I was surprised that she would claim to have been raped. And according to the article, it was alleged that it was forcible rape. Or have the laws changed and one is now guilty until proven innocent?

[polly7]

25. Never mind. I see where you're coming from and it's not worth the time. nt.

[RaleighNCDUer]

16. Obviously, he thought so to.

Think about it.

[frylock]

21. it may have had something to do with the forced sex at gunpoint thingy..

i would imagine there are quite a few whores, hookers, prostitutes, hos, and whatever other nomenclature you want to apply, that would take exception to that as well.

[EFerrari]

29. It's not a dubious situation. It's her job.

But her job is not to be raped, held at gun point and robbed. Good grief.

[uppityperson]

32. I won't call you a prude, but I will call you ignorant since it happens.

[freeplessinseattle]

35. doesn't matter. Consensual wouldn't be fun for him

That's the point. She may very well have put out if he'd been more gentlemanly about it, but obviously he wanted it rough and to scare her. Just think what he is probably like in his personal life.

btw, wives can be raped, too, and just going to bed beside your husband shouldn't evoke victim blaming either.

[NashVegas]

9. You Think a Hooker Can't Be Raped?

Or you just think that going to the law to press charges for it is out of bounds?

[freeplessinseattle]

11. bet you're surprised when wives cry rape too n/t

[EFerrari]

28. Are you serious? Sex workers are vulnerable

to all kinds of abuse.

[Robb]

5. He probably figured an escort wouldn't call the cops

...or that the cops wouldn't listen to her.

What a bastard, I hope he rots in prison.

[TheOther95Percent]

18. TSA Canned His Butt. Good.

Sounds like a power-assertive rapist too.
http://www.paralumun.com/issuesprofile.htm
Athletic, has a "macho" image of himself. More often than not, this is the type who commits date rapes. He typically meets his victim in a bar or nightclub. Instead of targeting a specific victim, he looks for an opportunity to get a woman alone with him, perhaps with an offer of a ride home or an invitation back to his place. Or he may con his victim into trusting him or letting him into her home, perhaps by posing as a policeman or repairman. Approximately 44 percent of rapes are committed by power-assertive rapists. He is physically aggressive, and will use the amount of force needed to control you -- degrading or obscene language, a weapon, slapping or punching -- but he does not intend to kill you.




http://www.seattlepi.com/local/418793_marshal21.html

In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Transportation Security Administration spokesman Dwayne Baird described Settles as a probationary employee who has since been fired.

[paparush]

19. Air Marshals cost about $200 MILLION per arrest

From Bruce Schneier

We now have approximately 4,000 in the Federal Air Marshals Service, yet they have made an average of just 4.2 arrests a year since 2001. This comes out to an average of about one arrest a year per 1,000 employees.
Now, let me make that clear. Their thousands of employees are not making one arrest per year each. They are averaging slightly over four arrests each year by the entire agency. In other words, we are spending approximately $200 million per arrest. Let me repeat that: we are spending approximately $200 million per arrest.


http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2010/04/the_effectivene.html

[joeglow3]

27. Sure, but a large of their job is preventative.

My sister works in bank in a high crime aread of town that has employed an armed police officer for 10+ years. Given that they have never been robbed and he has arrested no one on the job, is it a waste of money?

[Vinnie From Indy]

30. Hardly an equivalent situation

And, I would offer that, yes, maybe that is a waste of money by the bank.

[joeglow3]

38. I see a perfect comparison

And most of the banks within a 3 mile radius of hers that don't have a guard have been robbed at least once in that time.

It is a catch 22 for the government. They do nothing and we have another large scale attack, they get blasted. They put in place preventative measures and occurances drop drastically, they still get blasted, as there is no real way to know how many people the pre-emptive measures deterred.

[Yeahyeah]

24. Probably spent a lot of time ogling the airport body scan x-rays.

[SoapBox]

33. Early on after 9/11...

I will simply say, that early on after 9/11 when the TSA/DHS was in a frantic hiring mode for air marshals...

That there were any number of "questionable" male marshals on board flights.

More than once...one of the air marshals, was up running around, hitting on the female flight attendants or even
a female passenger.

As the "temps" (there were police , fire, EMTs, etc.) were gotten rid of and full time marshals were hired, the level of professionalism rose greatly.

I never saw any bad behavior after those early days.

Too bad about this...but there are just plain old bad apples out there in the world, in about every profession.

[Odin2005]

36. Monster!

:grr:

[harmonicon]

37. can I take a moment to remind people that an accusation =/= guilt?

A family member of mine was falsely accused of rape, and I know what it can do to someone. It's a horrible thing for someone to do, and there is no recourse for the falsely accused to seek any justice. They just have to suffer until the truth (maybe) comes out.

If this guy turns out to be guilty, then fuck him; I hope he goes to prison for a long time. If not, then I really feel for him. Can we remember that an accusation is not guilt? Pretending that it is is real tea-bag material.

[freeplessinseattle]

39. then again, why would an escort take such a risk outing herself?

Pretty big risk outing herself to the cops just for petty revenge, if you think about it.

Of course it sucks to be wrongly accused, and a lot of rape victims aren't believed either, one reason they're reluctant to press charges.

[harmonicon]

40. who knows?

Who knows that she even thinks it's something to be "outed" for?

[freeplessinseattle]

41. would you be more inclined to believe her if she wasn't a 'ho?

It sure sucks to be falsely accused, but the fraction of people who do that is actually rather small.

I have my personal experience being raped, and you have yours knowing someone falsely accused, so we both have our understandable biases reading the story.

[Lance_Boyle]

42. The inclination of anyone here to belive the accusation is completely immaterial.

The accused remains innocent unless and until the allegation is shown to be true beyond a reasonable doubt in court. Rape is real, and so are false accusations of rape. That's why we have courts. It would be nice to see some balance, though, in terms of justice for those falsely accused. The people who attempt to destroy them with lies seldom see any punishment for their crime.

[harmonicon]

43. no, it has nothing to do with believing or not believing

This will work its way through the courts, and I hope that justice is served. I cannot identify with what you must have gone through; I have friends who have been raped, and i know that it is an incredibly horrible thing. However, as completely outside observers, I think in any such case (where we know neither the accused nor accuser personally) we shouldn't jump to conclusions. As the other poster who responded to you said, it's simply a case that in our legal system people are innocent until proven guilty, and I think we should respect that.