Creep who “sexually assaulted” former Arizona Sen. Martha McSally as she ran along the Missouri River has been arrested

A man accused of sexually assaulting former Arizona Sen. Martha McSally as she ran along the Missouri River has been arrested.

Dominic Henton, 25, of Papillion was identified by Council Bluffs police Thursday evening and charged with assault with intent to commit sexual abuse.

McSally said she was assaulted by a man on Wednesday during her morning walk near Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park.

Police officers were called to the scene at 10:53 a.m. and Henton was identified as a suspect from surveillance footage as he allegedly followed the politician on the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bride.

McSally, a 26-year-old military veteran, said the attacker grabbed her “in a bear hug,” molested and fondled her until she managed to fight him off. She threw her water bottle at the suspect and chased him into a bush where he hid before running away.

He was identified Thursday evening by Council Bluffs police from surveillance footage and charged with assault with intent to commit sexual abuse

McSally said she was harassed by a man during her morning exercise near Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park on Wednesday

Law enforcement officials released surveillance camera footage and issued an arrest warrant for Henton before he was later caught.

Council Bluffs police said at the time that he is “believed to be a transient and may be visiting the Riverfront area on both the Iowa and Nebraska sides.”

McSally was in the area because she was scheduled to speak in Omaha, Nebraska, about “courage and heart and how to have a courageous heart,” noting that she had to be courageous herself that morning.

“A guy came up behind me and hugged me in a bear hug, harassed me, and followed me until I chased him. “I said a lot of swear words,” she said of the attack.

In an Instagram video, the visibly shaken senator said, “I was just attacked while running along the Missouri River. I realize I’m still in an adrenaline state. I am OK.

“Right now I was in a fight, flight or freeze, and I chose to fight.”

She said she called 911 and waited for help after chasing him into the bush.

McSally said it touched a nerve from her other sexual assaults, but she felt empowered for fighting back.

The politician added: “I felt like I was taking back my power. He tried to take power from me, but I turned it against him, and he ran from me instead of the other way around. It could have been a lot worse.”

She calls on anyone who has suffered similar damage to get in touch.

“To everyone who has been attacked, speak up. Find your strength. Process it emotionally, spiritually, neurologically. I’m safe,” she said.

In an update on Thursday, McSally said she couldn’t eat because her body was in shock, but she fought through and gave her speech that evening.

McSally was elected to the Senate in December 2018 and previously represented Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District in the House for four years.

In March 2019, McSally revealed that she was raped by a superior officer while serving in the Air Force – and almost left the military because of the “betrayal” she felt.

She made the announcement during a Senate hearing on the military’s efforts to prevent sexual assaults and improve responses when they occur.

Police officers were called to the scene at 10:53 a.m. and Henton was identified as a suspect from surveillance footage as he allegedly followed the politician on the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bride.

In an update on Thursday, McSally said she couldn’t eat because her body was in shock, but she fought through and gave her speech that evening.

She spoke emphatically about her “despair” over the incident and the need to improve the system so victims can feel comfortable sharing their stories. She called herself a “rape and betrayal survivor.”

“I share the disgust at the failure of the military system and at many commanders who have failed in their responsibilities,” she said.

McSally said she didn’t report being sexually assaulted because she didn’t trust the system, and she said she felt ashamed and confused.

She did not name the officer she says raped her — though she did have good words for commanders who mishandle assault reports.

“Like many victims, I thought the system was raping me again,” McSally said. ‘But I didn’t give up. “I decided to stay and continued to serve, fight and lead,” she said.

McSally, a former fighter pilot who served in the Air Force for 26 years, added, “I chose to fight. That’s why I’m doing well now. I still have a lot to process.”

She was allegedly attacked near Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, along the Mississippi River.

“To be a voice from within the ranks for women, and then in the House of Representatives, and now in the Senate. So this is also personal for me.

“I remained silent for many years, but later in my career, when the military was dealing with the scandals and their totally inadequate responses, I felt the need to let some people know that I was also a survivor,” she said, choked up when she told what happened to her.

‘I was shocked at the way my attempt to share my experiences in general was handled. I almost divorced the Air Force after 18 years of service because of my desperation. Like many victims, I felt like the system was raping me again.”

Since publicly sharing her own experiences, McSally introduced legislation aimed at changing the way the military handles sexual assault.

The Combating Military Sexual Assault Act was included in a major military spending bill that passed out of committee in 2019. The law focused on the prevention and training, victim assistance, investigation and prosecution of abuse in the military.

Another similar executive order was signed by President Joe Biden in August 2023.

The order changes the way some crimes, including sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse and murder, are handled within the military justice system, the Defense Department said.

The effective date for the changes, as mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act, is December 27.