Florida authorities arrested a 7th Special Forces Group soldier Wednesday on charges of sexual battery and child abuse of two young girls, according to a Crestview Police Department arrest report.
Staff Sgt. William Mrozek is accused of raping the children, ages 7 and 11, while they visited his home near Eglin Air Force Base for two weeks last summer.
“As far as I know, that never happened, but that is descriptive,” Mrozek told the girls’ mother when she confronted him in a recorded phone call earlier this year.
The children described being restrained and penetrated multiple times during their visit, with Mrozek urging them not to tell anyone what had happened, according to the police report.
Army Criminal Investigation Command from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, first interviewed the girls on March 4, according to the police report.
“I don’t want [redacted] around me anymore; I don’t think she should be around me anymore,” the soldier told the girls’ mother.
The report does not disclose Mrozek’s relationship to the girls.
“Do you want me to talk to her and tell her I’m sorry?” he asked their mother. “I can tell her I’m sorry and maybe she will forgive me someday, maybe it is what she needs to hear.”
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CID handed the case over to civilian authorities, according to a 7th Group spokeswoman.
“We [7th Group] are working with local and military law enforcement, but ultimately local enforcement will be the lead prosecutor since the alleged crime occurred in their jurisdiction,” Maj. Kim Rey told Army Times in a statement.
Mrozek is the second 7th Group soldier to be arrested this week. Staff Sgt. Derek McKinney was charged with murder Sunday in the shooting death of his estranged wife.
He is scheduled to enter a plea on May 23.
Meghann Myers is the Pentagon bureau chief at Military Times. She covers operations, policy, personnel, leadership and other issues affecting service members.
