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Male mid charged with rape, awaits Article 32

A male Naval Academy midshipman has been charged with raping a female midshipman in the school’s dormitory, the first such charge in three years, an academy spokeswoman said Thursday.

Midshipman 4th Class Patrick Edmond, 19, of Jackson, Miss., was charged with sexual assault and making a false statement after an investigation by Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Academy superintendent Vice Adm. Michael Miller, upon reviewing the NCIS report, referred the charges to an Article 32 hearing, which will determine if there is sufficient evidence for a general court-martial. The hearing is scheduled to begin April 18.

Citing privacy concerns, the academy declined to provide details about alleged victim.

Academy spokeswoman Deborah Goode said the woman initially reported the October incident only to the sexual assault response coordinator, and in November she reported the incident to academy authorities, prompting the NCIS investigation.

Goode said the last Article 32 hearing for sexual assault at the academy was in April 2008.

In the previous academic year, 11 midshipmen reported sexual assaults at the academy, the highest number in four years.