A retired Michigan police sergeant accused of being a serial rapist is facing a sixth charge from an alleged 2002 sexual assault of a 14-year-old.
Benjamin Wagner, 68, of North Carolina, is linked to a string of abductions and sexual assaults that terrorized Detroit’s west side between 1999 and 2003 against women between the ages of 14 and 23, according to Click On Detroit.
The most recent charges against Wagner stem from an incident on October 15, 2002. Prosecutors alleged that Wagner stopped a 14-year-old girl as she walked toward a bus stop on Trinity Street, near Outer Drive, to catch a ride to school.
According to the investigation, Wagner used a firearm to force the teenager into a secluded area where her sexually assaulted her.
For the survivor, now 37, this marks the beginning of a long-awaited path to justice.
“She has lived with what happened to her for 23 years,” noted Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, praising the survivor’s courage in choosing to hold her attacker accountable.
Investigators have identified a consistent and predatory “double life” led by Wagner during his time with the Detroit Police Department.
The six cases currently on file reveal many commonalities and were all within a 5.5-mile radius of Wagner’s former residence on Bentler Street.
In this latest case, Wagner faces several high-level felony charges, including Kidnapping, First-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct (2 counts) and Third-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct (2 counts).
While the prosecution builds its case around these decades-old kits and survivor testimonies, Wagner’s defense attorney maintains that his client has no prior criminal record and emphasizes that these remain unproven allegations.
The timeline below of Wagner’s alleged sexual assaults started in 1999:
- November 10, 1999: Wagner reportedly pointed a gun at a 17-year-old woman before he sexually assaulted her. The victim was steered away from the Chalfonte and Mark Twain area as she walked home from work.
- January 31, 2000: A 23-year-old woman had a gun reportedly held to her head by Wagner and was ordered away from the area of the 18400 block of Wyoming, and was then sexually assaulted.
- September 28, 2000: Wagner allegedly pointed a gun at the face of a 15-year-old girl in the 19800 block of Florence. He is said to have grabbed the victim as she walked to a school bus and sexually assaulted her.
- November 19, 2000: A 20-year-old woman was attacked from behind as she walked to a friend’s home in the 8500 block of West McNichols. Wagner is accused of having gun to the victim’s back and sexually assaulting her after forcing her to a different location.
- October 15, 2002: Wagner’s sixth and newest charge emerged for a 14-year-old girl.
- April 15, 2003: A 16-year-old girl was sexually assaulted, reportedly by Wagner after he emerged from an alley and kidnapped her in the 19000 block of Ferguson and took her to a different location.
Judge Shawn Jacque is set to preside over a probable cause conference on April 7, followed by subsequent court appearances on April 14, according to Click On Detroit.
Check back for updates.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Feature Photo via Chicago PD]
