DETROIT – A former Detroit police sergeant accused of living a double life as a serial rapist appeared in court Thursday and was remanded to jail.
Benjamin Wagner, 68, faces 15 charges of kidnapping and rape in five separate cases. Prosecutors say he sexually assaulted five girls and women between 1999 and 2003. The victims were between 15 and 23 years old at the time of the attacks.
Wagner joined the Detroit Police Department in 1998 and retired from the force in 2017. After retiring, he moved to Greenville, North Carolina.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy had announced the charges during a press conference on March 19.
Read more --> ‘Serial rapist’: Ex-Detroit police sergeant accused of sexually assaulting multiple girls, women
Wagner appeared for the hearing before Magistrate Delphia Burton in 36th District Court on Thursday, March 26, 2026, via Zoom, waived a formal reading, and stood mute to the charges. You can watch the full hearing in the video at the top of this article.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Carley Kocks argued that bond should be denied for Wagner, saying that he is a flight risk.
He now lives in North Carolina, works at an airport, has access to the National Crime Information Center database, and prosecutors said he has the ability to board a plane at any time.
The prosecution also argued Wagner is a danger to the community, pointing to the nature of the five cases. They said Wagner sexually assaulted the young girls and women at gunpoint, taking each victim to an isolated area before assaulting them. Wagner used a gun in every case and still has weapons registered in his name, according to the prosecution.
Wagner’s defense attorney, Robert Kinney, asked the court to grant Wagner bond, saying his client was born in Detroit, went to school in the area, and has local relatives. Kinney said Wagner has been married for eight years, and has a daughter and a brother.
He said Wagner traveled to Detroit voluntarily after learning the prosecutor’s office was weighing charges, though he was arrested in North Carolina before he could turn himself in.
Kinney said he was not opposed to an electronic tether and that Wagner would live with a relative in the Detroit area if released on bond.
The judge remanded Wagner to jail without bond after reviewing the allegations across all five cases.
The judge noted the similar circumstances in each case. The victims were approached and surprised while going about everyday activities, including going to the store, getting off a bus, and walking home from school. The judge said the pattern suggested deliberate intent to accost the women.
While the judge acknowledged that the complaints were signed the same day as the arraignment, noting that did not necessarily mean Wagner was evading prosecution, the court said the weight of the evidence and severity of the charges warranted remand. The judge found the presumption of guilt to be great based on DNA evidence and the other allegations.
A probable cause hearing is scheduled for April 7, followed by a preliminary examination on April 14.
For more information about the five sexual assault cases, click here.