Army Nat. Guard officer who 'motorboated' female subordinate retired with full benefits after 'abusive sexual contact' charge

A Louisiana Army National Guard captain was allowed to retired with full benefits despite serving time for “placing his face between [a female officer’s] breasts and moving his face from side to side” last year as she was promoted to sergeant.

Capt. Billy Crosby, a logistics officer with the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team deployed in Jordan, had a history of harassing this particular female officer, according to court documents.

The officer-in-charge there, Crosby had once invited her to ride with him to another post because he “enjoyed looking at her tits.” When the captain found out the female officer was to be promoted to sergeant in May 2021, he told her multiple times he would “motorboat” her breasts at the ceremony.

As the date apprached, the female officer declined a public promotion ceremony. Crosby found her in her room and held an impromptu ceremony, telling her to stand as he pinned her new rank to her chest.

Promotion ceremonies sometime include a light punch to the new medal. However, Crosby chose to lean in “to grab the rank with his teeth” and “vigorously moved his head from side to side between [the junior soldier’s] breasts while still holding the rank with his teeth,” according to court documents.

A shocked witness had to leave the room, said the documents. Multiple soldiers immediately reported the behavior.

Crosby was initially charged with abusive sexual contact and conduct unbecoming an officer, according to the Army Times. His defense lawyers initially said the prosecution was “trying to use gossip to portray the captain as a “creepy old guy,” according to Stars and Strips.

Crosby, who was prosecuted by Army prosecutors under the Uniform Military Code of Justice eventually struck a plea deal that downgraded the first charge to assault consummated by battery, a non-sexual offense, which allowed him to maintain full benefits in retirement, avoid having to register as a sex offender, and prevented the judge from dismissing him from the Army. The judge did not ask that he pay any fines or forfeit any pay.

A Louisiana National Guard Spokesman confirmed that Crosby retired Mar. 31 after completing his sentence – 30 days in confinement – and returning home from deployment.

“I was accused of a lot more than I done, and I pled guilty to what I did,” Crosby told Stars and Stripes.

Crosby participated in the 1989 invasion of Panama.