A trial is underway in Northampton Crown Court where disturbing details have emerged about a relationship between a young woman and a US airman stationed at RAF Croughton.
What began as what she thought was a normal romance quickly spiraled into something she later described as painful, frightening, and abusive.
Meeting Through a Dating App
The woman, now in her twenties, told police she first met 24-year-old Keharron Bogstad on the dating app Badoo back in 2020.
At the time, she was just 18 and inexperienced, while Bogstad was 19 and already serving in the US Air Force.
According to her, he seemed charming, friendly, and eager to learn about her interests.
When they met in person for the first time, he smuggled her onto his base in the boot of his car because of lockdown restrictions—a move she admitted left her scared, but she trusted him because of his friendly demeanor.
From Affection to Fear
Once inside his room, things changed.
The woman recalled how Bogstad quickly began taking her clothes off without asking.
She said she froze, believing she had no control, and allowed it to happen out of fear he would reject her otherwise.
As her first sexual partner, she assumed his behavior was “normal,” even when it made her uncomfortable.
Allegations of Rough and Forced Encounters
The court heard that Bogstad preferred rough sex and often pushed her into extreme acts she did not want.
At times, she pleaded with him to stop, saying she was in pain, but claims he ignored her.
On one occasion, she alleged, he strangled her until she blacked out and even took a photo of her afterwards.
Prosecutors say this shows there were episodes where Bogstad could not have reasonably believed she was consenting.
Disturbing Messages
Jurors were shown Snapchat messages where Bogstad wrote about “getting her close to death” and admitted it was “tempting” to push her boundaries without warning just to see her reaction.
She responded by reminding him that she was the one enduring it, not him.
The Emotional Toll on the Victim
In a police interview played to the jury, the woman described how each encounter became rougher, leaving her terrified yet too scared to resist.
She said she felt there was “no point” in saying no because he would do what he wanted anyway.
Despite this, she continued to see him, hoping the kinder side of him she saw outside of sex would eventually show in their relationship.
She admitted loneliness made her cling to the belief that this was how relationships were supposed to be.
The Defense Position
Bogstad, appearing in court wearing a navy blue suit and tie, denies three counts of rape between November 2020 and February 2021.
He insists all their sexual activity was consensual and claims he always stopped when she asked.
His lawyers argue that while the encounters may have been rough, he genuinely believed she agreed to them.
How the Case Came to Light
The woman only reported the matter in April 2022, more than a year after the alleged assaults.
She told police it was only when she began speaking to a new partner that she realized many of Bogstad’s actions had been non-consensual.
Prosecutor’s Closing Points
Paul Jarvis KC, prosecuting, emphasized that while some encounters were consensual, there were several occasions where Bogstad had “no reasonable belief” that the woman wanted to take part.
He highlighted her naivety and sexual inexperience, contrasting it with Bogstad’s confidence and insistence on increasingly extreme acts.
What Happens Next
The trial is expected to run for about a week.
The jury will have to decide whether the airman’s defense—that everything was consensual—holds true against the woman’s testimony, her messages with Bogstad, and the disturbing details of what she described as repeated abuse disguised as intimacy.