Air Force commander accused of sexually assaulting child still has military job

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – A former Las Vegas-based U.S. Air Force commander who was arrested for felony sex charges nearly two years ago continues to work for the Air Force while the allegations are being addressed through a military administrative process, according to a Nellis Air Force Base spokesperson.

Lt. Col. Kevin DiFalco was accused of grooming and then repeatedly raping a child, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported.

DiFalco is an active-duty member stationed at Nellis Air Force Base and currently serves as the Director of Staff for the 561st Weapons Squadron, Maj. Lauren Ott told the 8 News Now Investigators. DiFalco’s case had recently been removed from the Air Force trial docket, the 8 News Now Investigators learned.

Ott confirmed that DiFalco’s case will move forward through administrative processes. Ott cited privacy interests involved with Air Force administrative processes for not releasing details to the public.

DiFalco faced seven counts of lewdness with a child under 18, and one count of child abuse or neglect, according to Las Vegas Justice Court records after DiFalco’s arrest in September 2022. Two months later, records showed the matter was turned over to the military court.

DiFalco was commander of the 57th Operations Support Squadron and an F-16 pilot assigned to Nellis Air Force Base. He was relieved from command on September 8, but he remained on active duty at Nellis AFB, a spokesperson said. DiFalco served in the Thunderbirds program until June 2021.

DiFalco is accused of grooming and then sexually assaulting the child multiple times, a report stated. The report was extremely graphic and much of its contents cannot be reported to protect the child’s identity.

The report also claimed DiFalco told the child “not to say anything,” adding the commander and the person talked regularly on Snapchat, a messaging application where photos and messages disappear.

The allegations became known after an individual came forward to Las Vegas Metro police, the report stated. The person reporting the allegations said they had attempted to tell an out-of-state police agency last year, but that “the case was closed.”

The person reporting the allegations also noted a distinct tattoo in DiFalco’s groin area, which investigators corroborated in the report.

DiFalco was commissioned in the Air Force on January 15, 2005, according to Ott.

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