Ex-contractor pleads guilty to sex assault in Iraq

[sonias]

AAS 10/16/09
Ex-contractor pleads guilty to sex assault in Iraq

HOUSTON — A former civilian defense contractor accused of sexually assaulting a female co-worker at an Iraqi air base pleaded guilty Friday to abusive sexual contact.

David Charles Breda Jr., 34, of Pearland, was ordered to remain in federal custody pending sentencing Jan. 15. The guilty plea could mean up to two years in prison and lifetime status as a registered sexual offender for Breda.

Prosecutors alleged Breda jumped and fondled the woman in October 2008 at Camp Al Asad, Iraq, where he worked for a subsidiary of Houston-based KBR Inc. Breda was a former Army recruiter who also had been punished for inappropriate sexual behavior with an 18-year-old federal recruit, according to testimony at a detention hearing following Breda's arrest in July.

Breda's indictment marked the latest allegation of sexual assault involving civilians working for contractors in Iraq. The indictment did not identify the woman in his case, and it is not known whether she also worked for the contractor.

This is not the Jamie Leigh Jones case, but Jamie obviously made this prosecution possible. These are the kinds of crimes KBH was trying to settle by "arbitration".

There is a good video posted on the DK diary about Al Franken grilling the KBR attorney and Jamie Lee Jones makes a few comments in that segment as well. Recommended reading and watching.

Al Franken DESTROYS KBR attorney

Sonia

[Aragorn]

1. so does KBR

lose its funding and contractor status or not? Or do they get to keep working as long as they register as human rights offenders in each and every country they move to?

Can they just change their name and move on?

[sonias]

2. The Franken amendment passed

So I would presume that means that all future government contracts with KRB and the like can not have arbitration of sexual assault crimes i.e. the victims must be given their day in court.

I don't think this helps Jamie Leigh Jones case right now, but it will help people in the future.

KBR and Halliburton can change their names 10 times over and their reputations will follow them. Will they continue to get government funding? Yes they will.

Jamie Leigh Jones' case is going to court - soon we hope. She recently won one more case in her fight for justice - her day in court.

Think Progresss 9/16/09
Court rules that KBR employee’s gang rape wasn’t a personal injury ‘arising in the workplace.’

Jamie Leigh Jones was gang-raped by her co-workers while she was working for Halliburton/KBR in Baghdad. In an apparent attempt to cover up the incident, the company then put her in a shipping container for at least 24 hours without food, water, or a bed, and “warned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she’d be out of a job.” Even more insultingly, the DOJ resisted bringing any criminal charges in the matter. KBR argued that Jones’ employment contract warranted her claims being heard in private arbitration — without jury, judge, public record, or transcript of the proceedings. After 15 months in arbitration, Jones and her lawyers went to court to fight the KBR claims. Yesterday, a court ruled in favor of Jones.” Mother Jones reports:

Jones argued that the alleged gang rape was not related to her employment and thus, wasn’t covered by the arbitration agreement. Finally, two years later, a federal court has sensibly agreed with her. Tuesday, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2 to 1 ruling, found her alleged injuries were not, in fact, in any way related to her employment and thus, not covered by the contract.

"We are ecstatic that had the courage to uphold justice in this case," Jamie Leigh Jones' attorney Todd Kelly said after the decision.

Sonia

[onestepforward]

3. Franken was excellent!

I used to listen to his show on Air America and he always impressed me with his intelligence, ability to listen to all sides and mostly, his compassion. He truly does care about his fellow Americans.

[sonias]

4. He's off to a good start

I think he's played the game from the sidelines so much he knows the rules. Plus he knows a thing or two about the media.

Sonia