A career CIA officer was sentenced to 30 year in federal prison on Wednesday for drugging, raping and sexually assaulting over two dozen women across multiple countries while doing official work for the agency. The CIA veteran, identified as Brian Jeffrey Raymond, had actually documented his own crimes in photographs and video. The FBI is in possession of some 500 images showing him molesting his nude, unconscious victims.
The 48-year old's crimes often took place in government-leased apartments abroad, presumably while he was 'under cover' or on assignment in a covert capacity. The assaults go back to 2006 and there are victims across Latin America - including Peru and Mexico - and other countries.
Prosecutors described a 14-year rampage: "The defendant’s goal was simple: to sexually and physically assault women when they were at their most vulnerable and to create a lasting collection of photographs and videos memorializing his abhorrent deeds," they wrote. The case specified that the attacks took place at his "government-leased housing."
His crimes began to be uncovered following a May 2020 incident in Mexico City during which time he was attached to the US Embassy there. A woman was heard screaming for help from the balcony of his residence, after which federal agents upon further investigation searched his electronic devices and found hundreds of images of women being abused.
He would meet women on dating apps, lure them to his apartment on dates, and then spike their food or drinks to make them unconscious. The AP describes, ironically enough, the following of the case as it finished up in federal court this week:
...an emotional hearing in which victims described being deceived by a man who appeared kind, educated and part of an agency "that is supposed to protect the world from evil."
It appears he often specifically used his position with the government to gain the trust of his victims (either as a CIA agent or US 'diplomat' with the embassy). NPR writes:
Court filings reviewed by NPR said they found 487 videos and images of unconscious women in “various states of undress” on multiple devices belonging to Raymond, as well as searches for terms including “passed out,” “ambien,” “ambien and alcohol and pass out,” “Zolpidem and pharmacies” and “deep sleep” between 2010 and 2011.
The FBI said almost all of the women involved “experienced memory loss during their time with Raymond and had no knowledge of the photographs, videos or any physical contact.”
“For 14 years, Raymond exploited his trusted position as a U.S. government representative to lure women into his confidence,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg.
According to additional disturbing details from The Associated Press:
Once they were unconscious, he spent hours posing their naked bodies before photographing and assaulting them. He opened their eyelids at times and stuck his fingers in their mouths.
One by one, about a dozen of Raymond’s victims who were identified only by numbers in court recounted how the longtime spy upended their lives. Some said they only learned what happened after the FBI showed them the photos of being assaulted while unconscious.
A US government employee pleaded guilty last week to drugging & sexually abusing multiple women.
— dara faye (@darafaye) November 15, 2023
Over a 14yr period, he drugged, sexually assaulted, & recorded/photographed 28 women in multiple countries.
Meet Brian Jeffrey Raymond. pic.twitter.com/UaR2wTgELu
"My body looks like a corpse on his bed," one victim described of the photos to the court. "Now I have these nightmares of seeing myself dead." US Senior Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said while imposing the 30-year prison sentence, based on a plea deal: "It’s safe to say he’s a sexual predator."
Clearly his position in the CIA enabled this serial predator to keep assaulting women in secret over such a long span of so many years. This comes as the CIA deals with additional pending investigations related to sexual assault and misconduct allegations. How many more serial predators are out there, using their 'cover' and security clearance to harm and abuse women?
