Special Forces officer convicted for sexual and physical abuse, others go unpunished

NEWSREP reported last year on a sexual blackmail network in 7th Special Forces Group which entangled a number of senior officers and non-commissioned officers, all the way up to the then-Command Sergeant Major (CSM) of 1st Special Forces Command. “Dick Pic Six: The 7th Special Forces Group sex and blackmail network” detailed how 7th Group secretary Jenn O’Brien became involved with members of the unit and was later the alleged victim of physical abuse at the hands of Major Jason Sartori.

Since the publication of that story, there have been a number of developments. Jury selection has begun for the court-martial of Major Sartori who has been since stripped of his Green Beret and Special Forces tab. He stands accused of six counts of assault by his ex-wife. According to the Army Times, “he is accused of threatening his wife with a loaded weapon, strangling her twice, shoving her to the ground twice and restraining her by the wrists, in incidents that span from summer 2015 to spring 2016.”

O’Brien has publicly refuted the tone of the previous NEWSREP article on this subject, recently speaking to the Army Times about it. In addition to Sartori’s ex-wife and O’Brien, a third woman has come forward with claims of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of Sartori, speaking to the Army Times on the condition of anonymity. Further evidence of alleged abuse by Major Sartori has been revealed by the Army Times. In a past statement to NEWSREP, Sartori denied any and all accusations of physical abuse against his ex-wife or O’Brien.

The Army Times writes that, “According to those women, former 7th Special Forces Group commander Col. Michael Ball declined to pursue rape and assault allegations they first brought to Army Criminal Investigation Command in late 2017.” However, Colonel Ball was no longer the commander of 7th Special Forces Group in late 2017. Ball relinquished command to Colonel Patrick Colloton on June 15th, 2017.

O’Brien has also come forward to make additional accusations against the chain of command, detailing allegations against CSM Brian Rarey in a series of social media posts. In one such post, she mentions how CSM Rarey used LinkedIn where he: “routinely lured unsuspecting, young women under the guise of being safe, a trusted agent, a Special Forces soldier. Even while he was under investigation for his inappropriate conduct concerning me, Rarey was sadistically and psychologically abusing yet another victim.”

O’Brien also uploaded a series of alleged text messages to CSM Rarey that she sent him when she came under a 15-6 investigation by 7th Special Forces Group.

O’Brien states that they first met at a memorial wall ceremony during the Red Empire Week of May 2016. In the text messages, O’Brien appears to be asking CSM Rarey for help and he appears to be coaching her by saying that she needs to use information as leverage during the Army 15-6 investigation. Rarey also makes a series of crass, and apparently unwanted, sexual advances.

NEWSREP was furnished a copy of the DOD’s intent to revoke O’Brien’s security clearance which she signed in February of 2018. NEWSREP also received a copy of her rebuttal. The DOD statement cites O’Brien’s alleged sexual behavior with a married officer, personal conduct, drug use, criminal conduct, and misuse of the U.S. military NIPR system to send personal messages.

The DOD paperwork includes a quote from O’Brien taken from a messenger dated February 1st, 2017 in which she wrote, “We need to take them down. This is the only way to save my job and shed light on an incompetent command. Then everyone will be too scared to challenge us. I just want to be able to get back to work and get the command out. For breaking so many federal employment laws they would have to be removed.”

In O’Brien’s rebuttal statement, she denies all of DOD’s accusations against her. While she concedes to having a relationship with Major Sartori, O’Brien insists that it was not inappropriate and occurred after his marriage had fallen apart. It should be noted that as a DOD civilian, UCMJ laws regarding adultery would not apply to a secretary.

Regarding the NIPR messages DOD complains about, she says they were actually private Skype messages. At one point, she writes about how her private messages were used against her within 7th Group:

In an organization of mostly male soldiers, why would a decision be made to print a picture of my vagina, that not only the JAG, his paralegal, the IO and the Group Commander saw, but the DCO, the CSM, every Executive Officer from MAJs Challen and Clark, to LTC Nielsen and a handful of others? The printing of that picture served no other purpose that to embarrass, humiliate and publicly slut shame me, as well as jeopardize my safety.”

Regarding alleged drug use, O’Brien claims in her rebuttal that what another soldier saw her inhaling was simply crushed diet pills. As far as the DOD allegations about personal conduct, O’Brien states she was merely defending herself from Major Sartori and relates a chilling narrative about the night of March 16-17 of 2017 in which she claims Major Sartori drugged her so that he and an enlisted female soldier in the Air Force could rape her. This was allegedly done in order to retaliate against Ms. O’Brien for reporting past physical abuse suffered at the hands of Sartori, abuse that appears substantiated by photographs previously published by NEWSREP.

While Major Sartori is currently going to be court-martialed for alleged martial abuse, justice appears fleeting for O’Brien and a number of other women who suffered similar abuse. The Sartori court-martial itself comes at a time that 7th Special Forces Group is reeling from multiple other investigations involving drug smuggling, child abuse, and murder.

*Update* As this story was going to press, NEWSREP learned the results of Major Jason Sartori’s court martial. Sartori has been found guilty of sexual assault and aggravated assault. This story will be updated with additional information as it becomes available.

*Update2* Jason Sartori has been sentenced to ten years confinement and dismissal.

*Update3* Sartori at his court martial today: