A Virginia jury acquits an ex-CIA recruit in an assault case that led to sexual misconduct reforms

A former CIA officer trainee was acquitted Wednesday by a jury in Virginia of charges that he assaulted a female colleague in a stairwell, charges that sparked a flurry of sexual misconduct complaints and reforms at the spy agency.

Prosecutors said that in 2022, Ashkan Bayatpour came up behind a fellow trainee in the stairwell of CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, wrapped a scarf around her neck and tried to kiss her while making threatening comments.

Bayatpour appealed last summer after being convicted by a judge of the same crime and battery charges. Under Virginia law, the Alabama native and former Navy intelligence officer was entitled to a full jury trial in Fairfax County. The panel deliberated for several hours on Wednesday before handing down the verdict.

“I am grateful that a jury of my peers believed me and found me not guilty,” said Bayatpour, 40, who resigned from the CIA after the previous conviction in the case. “It has been a nightmare being falsely accused over the past two years. My family and I have had much of our peace, joy, privacy and security stolen, and my focus now is on getting my life back on track after this ordeal.”

Bayatpour acknowledged in the earlier trial that he wrapped the scarf around the woman’s neck, but insisted his actions were in jest during a 40-minute walk together. The incident, his lawyer said, was “a joke that didn’t land the way it was intended.”

The woman’s decision to take the case outside the spy agency has emboldened at least two dozen female CIA employees over the past two years to come to authorities and Congress with their own stories of sexual assault, unwanted touching and what they claim is a campaign to be to preserve. prevent them from speaking out.

A AP research found that their allegations, some dating back years, ranged from lewd comments about sexual fantasies to accusations that a veteran CIA officer office party reached up a colleague’s skirt and forcibly kissed her in front of stunned colleagues.

The House Intelligence Committee, at a two-part report This year, the CIA accused the CIA of botching its response to such allegations of sexual misconduct. The report, based on interviews with 26 whistleblowers and numerous briefings with CIA officials, found that the agency’s investigation into sexual assault or harassment was ineffective and that victims were discouraged from filing complaints.

The agency said it has since reformed its policies, including ensuring officers are aware they can report complaints to law enforcement authorities, and taking other steps to streamline internal investigations, support victims and quickly bring those responsible to justice to discipline.

“We take the issues of sexual assault and sexual harassment very seriously, and we remain committed to ensuring a safe workplace for our officers,” the CIA said in a statement.

So was Bayatpour prosecutor Rachel Cuda dismissed after she filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging that the CIA retaliated against her for reporting the incident to local law enforcement authorities and testifying about it at a closed congressional hearing.

Her attorney, Kevin Carroll, said he was disappointed with the outcome of the trial and questioned the defendant’s tactics to clear his name, which he said included trying to shame the complainant with inaccurate, biased and irrelevant accusations.

“This attempt to damage her reputation is reprehensible, and it is surprising that this was allowed in 2024,” he said.

The AP generally does not identify those who say they were sexually abused, except when the alleged victims publicly identify themselves or agree to have their names published, as Cuda has done in this case.

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Goodman reported from Miami, Mustian from New Orleans. Contact AP’s global investigative team at [email protected].

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