Man charged on suspicion of fondling women at Hill AFB

A Hill Air Force Base employee has been charged in federal court with allegedly groping women's breasts at the base's fitness center.

James Milton Busby, 34, is accused of "making sexual inappropriate acts towards patrons and staff members" of the fitness center, according to a statement of probable caused filed this week in U.S. District Court.

Busby is charged with three counts of misdemeanor sexual battery, which are each punishable by up to a year in prison. The case is assigned to U.S. Magistrate Paul Warner and is scheduled for a status hearing on March 28.

Busby intentionally touched the breast of two women, identified in court documents as J.A.H. and D.C.G. on November 8 near the Warrior Fitness Center, court documents state. He also allegedly touched the breast of a third unidentified victim the same day, according to the documents.

Reached at his home in Roy on Thursday afternoon, Busby declined comment on the charges.

A Seattle native, Busby has worked in vehicle management in the civil service and Air Force Reserves since 2005.

Richard Essary, a Hill Air Force Base spokesman, said the alleged incidents occurred when Busby was on civilian duty.

"Mr. Busby is employed by the Air Force in the 75th Logistics Readiness Squadron on Hill AFB. He is also a technical sergeant in the 419th Fighter Wing, a Reserve organization on the installation. The alleged incidents occurred while Mr. Busby was acting in his civilian capacity and not his military capacity. The Air Force takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously. No further information will be released until the judicial process is completed," Essary said.

Busby's case is the second sexual battery charge to be filed for an incident at a base fitness center in recent months.

Retired Air Force lieutenant colonel Douglas J. Hammond in June was sentenced to 24 months of probation for fondling another man in a Hill Air Force Base steam room. Hammond, a 68-year-old former Syracuse city councilman, pleaded guilty in March 2011 to misdemeanor sexual battery for the encounter at the Layton military base.

Hammond initially denied the allegations against him, but later admitted that he entered a steam room at the base's Hess Fitness Center on Dec. 10, 2009, and sexually touched another man in the room.

The steam room requires those using the facility to wear a swimming suit, gym shorts or a towel, but Hammond went into the room nude and sat down next to a young man wearing a towel. He proceeded to touch the man's penis under the towel and the victim immediately left the room, according to a statement submitted to the court before Hammond pleaded guilty to the crime.

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