Former CIA officer drugged and abused women in multiple countries

A former CIA officer has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting dozens of women while on assignment in the US and overseas.

Over a 14-year period, Brian Jeffrey Raymond, 48, lured women to his government apartment to abuse them, the US Attorney’s District of Columbia Office said.

The FBI’s joint investigation found hundreds of photographs and videos – dating back to 2006 – of at least 24 nude or partially nude women who were unconscious or incapable of consenting.

Raymond was caught when a naked woman screaming for help was seen on the balcony of his Mexico City residence in May 2020. He had been working for the US embassy at the time.

Warning: There are distressing details in this story

US attorney Matthew M Graves said the sentencing “marked him as a sex offender for life”.

The former intelligence service employee was a “predator” who “lured unsuspecting women to his government-leased housing”, where he drugged, stripped, sexually abused and photographed them, Mr Graves added.

There were more than 500 images found on Raymond’s devices. The recordings, taken between 2006 and 2020, show him touching and manipulating the victim’s bodies for hours.

In some cases, our US partner CBS reports, he was seen straddling and groping his unconscious victims. He opened their eyelids at times and stuck his fingers in their mouths.

After learning about the criminal investigation, he attempted to delete the pictures and videos.

Nicole Argentieri, a senior justice department official, said the verdict showed it doesn’t “matter where those violations occur or who commits them”.

Raymond admitted to drugging and creating obscene material with 28 non-consenting women, and drugging another two.

In November 2023, the California native pleaded guilty to one count each of sexual abuse, abusive sexual contact, coercion and enticement, and transportation of obscene material.

As part of his plea agreement, Raymond further admitted to engaging in non-consensual sexual acts with four women and non-consensual sexual contact with six women.

Raymond met the women through various dating apps, and then drugged them while serving wine and snacks. Most of the women in his photos and videos could not remember their time with him.

During his employment by the government, he lived and worked in numerous countries including the US, Peru and Mexico.

In 2021, the FBI and the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) – who conducted a joint investigation – asked for the public’s help in seeking additional information pertaining to Raymond, and any potential victims.

At the time, the US Embassy in Mexico said some of the women in the photos and videos had not been identified.

At the sentencing, the FBI’s assistant director in charge, David Sundberg thanked “the brave women who shared information that furthered this investigation”.

Some said they only learned what had happened to them after the FBI showed them photos of the assaults, CBS reports.

Several victims – identified only by numbers – gave impact statements in court. Many of the women stared Raymond down as they left the stand.

One said: “I hope he is haunted by the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life”.

In addition to his 30-year prison sentence, the judge ordered a lifetime of supervised release and ordered him to pay $260,000 (£195,855) in restitution.

If you are affected by issues of sexual assault you can contact the BBC Action Line here