Labib Chammas, Sex Abuse, Washington, 2023

WASHINGTON – Labib Chammas, 65, of Reston, Virginia, Pleads Guilty to Sex Abuse

Labib Chammas, the husband of a former U.S. Embassy official in Morocco, pleaded guilty today to sexually abusing a former household staff member from 2010 to 2013, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Director Bill A. Miller of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).

Chammas, 65, pleaded guilty to one count of abusive sexual conduct before U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper of the District of Columbia. Sentencing was set for Jan. 4, 2017.

In pleading guilty, Chammas admitted that between August 2010 and February 2013, while living in State Department-owned housing in Rabat, he sexually abused a woman who had worked at the residence for 16 years. The victim was a household staffer who worked for the Chammas family.

According to the plea agreement, Chammas supervised the staff at the residence and repeatedly threatened to fire staff members. Out of fear that she would lose her job, the victim complied with Chammas’s requests that she massage his legs, hip and back, and then with his subsequent demands that she “massage” his genitalia.

On at least five occasions, Chammas took the victim by her head or hair and attempted to force her to perform oral sex. The victim was left traumatized by the abuse and felt powerless to stop it.

The case was investigated by the Diplomatic Security Service, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Hertzfeld of the District of Columbia and Special Counsel Stacey Luck and Trial Attorney Jamie Perry of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case.

The guilty plea and sentencing mark a significant victory for the victim and a reminder that no one is above the law.

Labib Chammas, 65, of Reston, Virginia, will face the consequences of his actions and will be held accountable for his heinous crimes.

This case highlights the need for increased awareness and support for victims of sexual abuse and assault.