Peterson AFB colonel accused of multiple sexual assaults

An active-duty colonel with NORAD and Peterson Air Force Base is accused of multiple sexual assaults that go back to 2012, including allegedly raping a woman who was asleep and striking another person in the face.

According to a charge sheet released by Peterson AFB, Col. Jason Costello is being investigated for violating two articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice based on several alleged incidents.

One “specification” in the charge sheet is completely redacted and no information was provided at all.

The second incident was in late 2014 in Rhode Island, where Costello allegedly had sex with a woman while she was asleep.

A third incident accuses Costello of penetrating another woman with his finger in 2012, and a fourth says Costello groped a woman in multiple areas over her clothes on multiple occasions in 2012 and 2014. It’s not clear where those incidents occurred.

Costello is also accused of striking someone in the face with his hand in late 2013. Another incident allegedly happened in April 2017, when he “unlawfully grabbed [a victim by the] arm, wrist, and hand with his hands,” according to the charge sheet.

A NORAD spokesperson told KRDO Wednesday “the command takes allegations of this nature very seriously. As we do in all situations regarding adverse actions against any employee or service member, the command has taken appropriate actions while balancing the rights of the individual.”

Costello remains on active-duty status but has been reassigned to the NORAD and USNORTHCOM Training and Exercises Directorate, according to NORAD Public Affairs. He’s been in that role since July 16, 2016.

A trial is tentatively set for October.