(U.S. Air Force)
LAS VEGAS (Tribune News Service) — Sexual abuse allegations against a Nellis Air Force Base officer have been dropped in military court, but he could still be discharged from the military.
Police in 2022 accused Lt. Col. Kevin DiFalco of grooming a girl, raping her and committing lewd acts in front of her. A Metropolitan Police Department arrest report said the girl told police that DiFalco sent her underwear and bikinis with notes saying that he wanted to see her wear them. She told police that he raped her several times and that she developed an eating disorder and tried to overdose because of the abuse.
DiFalco could not be reached for comment Monday but recently told a military news website that he denied the allegations.
He faced charges of lewdness in the presence of a child and child abuse or neglect in Las Vegas Justice Court, but prosecutors denied the charges in October 2022. A note in the docket sheet said the case was “being turned over the the military court.”
In the military court-martial process, DiFalco’s charges included sexual assault, sexual abuse of a child, obstructing justice and indecent exposure, according to Maj. Lauren Ott, an Air Force spokesperson. The charges were referred to the court-martial on Jan. 22, 2024, Ott said, and withdrawn and dismissed on June 7.
The charges were dismissed without prejudice, which means “the Air Force retains the option to prosecute these charges at a later time,” Ott said.
Citing pending administrative proceedings, Ott said she could not elaborate on why the charges were withdrawn.
An administrative Board of Inquiry hearing is scheduled for September and the board has the power to hear testimony, evaluate evidence and decide whether an officer should be discharged, Ott said.
In the meantime, Ott said, DiFalco is on active duty at Nellis as a special projects officer.
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