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 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 charge, 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.