A chief is facing a court-martial trial for allegedly trying to sexually assault a child, according to Navy charge sheets.
Chief Aviation Structural Mechanic Richard A. Adolph-McDaniel, 40, is accused of attempting the act on a victim he believed to be older than 12-years-old but younger than 16 at or near Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, on Feb. 15, 2018, prosecutors allege.
His alleged victim was actually an undercover law enforcement agent, charge sheets indicate.
Exactly what happened in early 2018 remains unclear. Navy officials declined to comment about the case beyond the one-page charge sheet provided to Navy Times.
“Specific details regarding the nature of the charge is not available in advance of the (general court-martial),” Navy Region Mid-Atlantic spokesman David Todd said in an email.
Adolph-McDaniel’s civilian attorney, Matthew Hamel, told Navy Times his client is innocent.
“We intend to vigorously fight these charges and clear the good name of this chief, who has had an otherwise stellar career,” Hamel said.
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The chief’s trial is tentatively slated for mid-October, Todd said.
Adolph-McDaniel has been assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 106 in Virginia Beach since January 2017, according to his service records.
Originally from South Carolina, he enlisted in 1998.
He pinned on his anchors a month before he reported to VFA-106 at Naval Air Station Oceanan.
Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
