The man who attacked a former US senator in Iowa gets less than a year in prison

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (WOWT) – The man who attacked former U.S. senator from Arizona during a visit to Council Bluffs, she was sentenced to less than a year in prison.

Dominic Henton, 26, was sentenced to 360 days in jail plus credit for 89 days he already spent behind bars on a misdemeanor assault charge. After completing his prison sentence, Henton must serve two years of probation, undergo sex offender treatment and register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Henton attacked Martha McSally in November 2023. The former U.S. senator from Arizona and combat pilot visited Omaha to give a speech.

He was arrested after Omaha police responded to a well-being check call he made to dispatchers; AND he was subsequently charged with one count of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, a misdemeanor.

Shortly after the incident, McSally posted the video on social media saying the man grabbed her “in a bear hug” and then molested and fondled her until she confronted him. She testified that she threw a water bottle at him and chased him into the bushes, where he hid before running away.

“I’m fine. I fought, fled or froze and decided to fight,” she said in an Instagram post.

During Thursday’s hearing, McSally said Henton deserved additional prison time for the trauma and pain he caused her.

“After the attack, I felt pain and nausea. She said that, understandably, the trauma had taken a toll on my body and soul. “To become an active member of society would mean taking full responsibility for these actions and decisions, apologizing for attacking me, which Henton has just done by demanding, rather than opposing, a sex offender treatment program.”