California IN BRIEF : SAN DIEGO : Navy Officer Accused of Sexual Harassment

SAN DIEGO — A 23-year-old Navy petty officer testified in military court Friday that a drunken superior groped her breasts and thighs continually during a cross-country commercial airline flight in October, failing to stop--or be stopped by other Navy personnel--until she shook him and slapped his face.

The woman, who has asked to remain anonymous, testified at a preliminary hearing at the naval station here about the alleged incident involving Chief Petty Officer George Powell, 49. She said the final straw came when, after repeated rebuffs, he grabbed her left breast and said, “Honk.”

“I went a little crazy,” she said. “I got out of my seat, I ripped up the armrest and grabbed him by the collar and shook him, and I slapped his face.”

An investigating officer, the military equivalent of a judge, heard testimony related to 11 charges being considered against Powell for indecent assault, drunk and disorderly conduct, sexual harassment and simple assault, including two new charges stemming from another alleged incident of sexual assault that came to light during the investigation.

After a report about the most recent incident, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jeremy M. Boorda ordered an all-Navy “stand-down,” which resulted in orders for the 430,000 active-duty personnel to stop work for one day and meet with their unit to discuss regulations and standards of conduct.