ABC News(CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.) — Authorities are investigating the first allegation of a crime committed in space.
Astronaut Anne McClain has been accused of unlawfully accessing her estranged spouse’s bank account aboard the International Space Station.
McClain and her spouse, Summer Worden, have been engaged in a custody battle over Worden’s six year-old son Briggs after filing for divorce in October 2018.
“Lt. Col Anne McClain has an accomplished military career, flew combat missions in Iraq and is one of NASA’s top astronauts,” NASA said in a statement. “She did a great job on her most recent mission to the International Space Station. As with all NASA employees NASA does not comment on personal, or personnel issues.”
Worden, a former Airforce Intelligence Officer, claimed McClain got into her account as part of a plan to gain parental rights of her son.
But McClain’s attorney said when she accessed the account, she was making sure the couple’s finances were in order as she had been doing for years using passwords that weren’t changed.
McClain tweeted her response to the allegations writing, “There’s unequivocally no truth to these claims. We’ve been going through a painful, personal separation that’s now unfortunately in the media. I appreciate the outpouring of support and will reserve comment until after the investigation. I have total confidence in the IG process.”
The two married in December 2014 but after filing for divorce nearly four years later, Worden argues since McClain did not legally adopt Briggs, she does not have custodial rights.
ABC’s Chief Transportation Correspondent, David Kerley, spoke with McClain in 2018 about operating in space before her six-month stint aboard the International Space Station. When asked about training in the Astronaut Corps and going to space for the first time she said, “I do know that it as been something so magical that has given me such a purpose my whole life and I’m really looking forward to achieving it,” she said.
McClain and Worden’s divorce trial is set for Sept. 17th in Houston.
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