Coast Guardsman Convicted of Sexual Assault, Battery in Alameda Court-Martial

A Coast Guardsman was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault, battery, housebreaking and other offenses during a general court-martial held at Alameda's Coast Guard Base Nov. 18 to 24, according to a Coast Guard press release.

It's the second Coast Guard court-martial for sexual assault held in Alameda this month. 

In the more recent case, Third Class Electrician's Mate Osvaldo Ortega, 30, was convicted of abusive sexual contact, aggravated sexual assault, assault consummated by battery, housebreaking, false official statement and unlawful entry, the press release said.

Ortega committed the offenses against two separate victims in 2008 and 2012 while stationed at Coast Guard Base Los Angeles – Long Beach, it said. No criminal activity took place in Alameda.

A military jury sentenced Ortega to one year of confinement, a bad conduct discharge and reduction to the lowest enlisted pay grade. Under state law, Ortega will also be required to register as a sex offender.

Ortega will be confined in a military prison, not in Alameda, the Coast Guard said.

"The allegations first surfaced in October 2012 when a Coast Guardsman reported Ortega sexually assaulted her while she was sleeping at a third Coast Guardsman’s off-base apartment in August 2012," the press release said.

"The victim made this report immediately following her attendance at a sexual assault prevention workshop at Coast Guard Base Los Angeles – Long Beach.

"The Coast Guard Investigative Service launched a comprehensive investigation into the incident.

"Later in October 2012, Coast Guard investigators learned of alleged sexual assaults of a second Coast Guard victim now stationed on the East Coast. When that victim was contacted, she reported that Ortega sexually assaulted her twice, once in 2008 and again in 2009.

"The military jury found that Ortega was not guilty of aggravated sexual assault and wrongful sexual contact stemming from the 2009 incident.

"Ortega’s offenses took place off base and off duty near Long Beach, Calif.  He was assigned to Coast Guard Base Los Angeles - Long Beach where he worked as a member of the engineering department."

Earlier this month, Coast Guard Fireman Elmer Molina, 25, was convicted at a court-martial held in Alameda of sexually assaulting two female Coast Guard members in 2012 and 2013 and acquitted of an alleged sexual assault against a third female member. He had met the victims at Coast Guard bases in Alameda and Petaluma.

You may read more about that case here.

Dan Dewell of the Coast Guard's public affairs office said it's not uncommon for courts-martial to be held in Alameda even if the offenses took place in a different part of the state. One reason is that many USCG legal officers are stationed at Coast Guard Island here, he said.

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