Air Force Academy major accused of rape of a child

An Article 32 hearing will be held for an Air Force Academy major accused of rape and sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12.

Maj. Travis J. Burns is facing allegations of rape, rape of a child, and three specifications of sexual abuse of a child, according to the Air Force Academy. The hearing will be held Monday. The Academy says Burns violated Articles 120 and 120b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

According to a charge sheet, Burns allegedly raped a woman in Clovis, New Mexico in December 2013.

He’s also accused of using a plastic toy to sexually assault a girl under the age of 12 in 2018, and he’s accused of “intentionally causing her to touch” his genitalia in 2017. Those allegedly happened “at or near” Colorado Springs.

An Article 32 hearing is like a grand jury hearing, and the role is to determine if probable cause exists to support the charges.