Contractor accused of sexual assault at Iraq base

(CNN) -- A U.S. defense contractor has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman at an American base in Iraq, the FBI said Monday.

Jorge Thornton, 27, was arrested Sunday at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, after returning from Iraq, FBI spokesman Stephen Emmett said.

A federal grand jury in Waco, Texas, indicted him August 12 on a count of aggravated sexual abuse, accusing him of forcing sexual contact with a woman at the U.S. military base at Tal Afar in June.

Thornton was expected to be transferred to Texas after an initial court appearance Monday, said Shana Jones, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in San Antonio.

He did not challenge his pending transfer and entered no plea during a brief initial appearance in Columbus, said James Lamb, the attorney who represented him in that proceeding.

If convicted of the charge, Thornton could face life in prison, prosecutors said.

Thornton was employed by Blackhawk Management, a Houston, Texas-based contractor that manages supplies for the base in Tal Afar, located in northern Iraq. The company did not respond to a request for comment.

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