FARGO, N.D. (AP) -- A lieutenant colonel has been temporarily removed from his leadership post with the North Dakota Air National Guard after being charged with a sex crime.
Tom Meyer, 45, is accused of having oral sex with a 16-year-old boy he met online. Police said Meyer told authorities he thought the boy was 18 years old. Meyer did not immediately return a telephone call to The Associated Press on Tuesday seeking comment.
If convicted, Meyer could permanently lose his post as medical group commander for the Fargo-based 119th Wing, said Capt. Penny Ripperger, a Guard spokeswoman. Meyer, a part-time airman, is a 27-year veteran of the unit known as the Happy Hooligans.
Meyer is due in court on July 22 on two felony charges: corruption or solicitation of minors and dissemination of obscene materials. Court records say police who executed a search warrant on Meyer's home and vehicle allege they found nude photos that Meyer and the boy had exchanged.
