Officer's trial on groping charge set for Nov. 12

A jury trial has been scheduled for Nov. 12 for the former head of the Air Force sexual assault prevention and response office, who is accused of drunkenly groping a woman.

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski is charged with one misdemeanor count of assault and battery. An arrest record accuses Krusinski of grabbing the breasts and buttocks of a woman May 5 in a parking lot not far from the Pentagon where he works.

The trial is scheduled in Arlington County Circuit Court in Virginia, according to online court records.

Krusinski was first charged with sexual battery, but Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos withdrew the charge after a review of the evidence. A grand jury indicted the Air Force officer on the assault and battery charge Aug. 19.

The Air Force removed Krusinski from his job after news of the allegation made national headlines. The arrest came as the military was reeling from several high-profile sexual assault cases and a Defense Department report revealed incidents of unwanted sexual contact were increasing. The service has since revamped the office, expanding it and putting a two-star general at the helm.

Krusinski, through an attorney, has denied the charge against him.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.