MIAMI – A former U.S. Air Force member from Miami has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for sexually assaulting another servicemember while stationed at an air base in the United Kingdom over six years ago, according to a news release from the Department of Justice obtained by Local 10 on Thursday.
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Authorities said James Loubeau, 37, was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 20 months of supervised release after pleading guilty earlier this year to two counts of abusive sexual contact.
The charges stemmed from a 2019 incident at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, located in Suffolk, England.
As part of his plea, Loubeau admitted that on May 4, 2019, he sexually assaulted the victim while on base.
According to investigators, Loubeau and the victim had been drinking at a bar on base that night. The victim, who was visibly intoxicated, returned to her on-base housing with help from a friend and went to bed alone.
At approximately 2:30 a.m., the victim awoke to find Loubeau on top of her in bed, prosecutors said.
They said she quickly called two friends and told them she had been raped.
Surveillance footage later showed Loubeau leaving her room and returning to his dorm, authorities said.
A medical examination revealed injuries consistent with sexual contact, and DNA evidence linked Loubeau to the assault, according to investigators.
They said Loubeau was discharged from the Air Force in March 2020.
Loubeau was initially indicted in April and was previously held at a jail facility in Broward County before being transferred to federal custody.
