Former HMS Queen Elizabeth Executive Officer who appeared on BBC documentary charged with rape
.jpg?width=96&crop=1:1,smart)
He is due to appear at Bulford Military Court for a Court Martial
A former second-in-command of a Royal Navy aircraft carrier has been charged with rape.
Captain Chris Ansell, the former HMS Queen Elizabeth Executive Officer, will appeared at Bulford Military Court later this week. The 49-year-old is accused of rape, sexual assault by penetration, and attempted sex assault while he was in the post.
The Sun reports that he is the most senior Navy officer charged with these sexual offences. Capt Ansell served aboard the 65,000 tonne warship from November 2020 to February 2022. They served in the first UK Carrier Strike Group deployment to the Indo-Pacific and South China Sea.
During this operation, he featured in the BBC documentary The Warship: Tour of Duty. Capt Ansell was previously in command of HMS St Albans. He joined the Royal Navy and served on submarines before transferring to the surface fleet.
According to court listings published by the Ministry of Defence, Capt Ansell is scheduled to appear at a Plea Trial and Preparation Hearing at Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, on the morning of June 18.