Child Sexual Abuse at Air Force Courts-Martial, 2020: The Year in Numbers
The Air Force records hold 14 courts-martial from 2020 that charged Article 120b (child sexual abuse). A military judge alone decided 12 of them (86%), and 8 of the 13 accused with a plea recorded pleaded guilty.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 4 min read
Trends › By Offense › Article 120b › Air Force, 2020
Short answer: The Air Force records hold 14 courts-martial from 2020 that charged Article 120b (child sexual abuse). A military judge alone decided 12 of them (86%), and 8 of the 13 accused with a plea recorded pleaded guilty. The median confinement was 2 years, compared with 4 months for all Air Force cases in 2020, and 13 of 14 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge.
Guilty Pleas Outnumbered Contested Cases
13 of the 14 records list the plea. 8 accused pleaded guilty, and 5 entered a not-guilty or mixed plea, which makes a case contested. The contested share was 38%, lower than the 48% across all Air Force cases in 2020.
Members Heard Only 2 Cases
The accused usually decides whether a military judge alone or a panel of members will decide guilt. A military judge alone decided 12 of the 14 cases (86%). Members decided 2, both with enlisted panels. There were 0 officer panels.
Confinement
13 of 14 sentences included confinement (93%). The median was 2 years, and a quarter of the terms were 6 years or longer. Across all Air Force cases in 2020, the median was 4 months.
These are adjudged sentences. They are the terms set at trial, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and they cover every charge in the case.
How 2020 Compared With 2019
The median confinement was 8 years in 2019 and 2 years in 2020. Cases numbered 20 and 14. Convictions with confinement were 85% and 93%. Punitive discharges for enlisted members were 94% and 93%. General courts-martial were 100% and 93%.
With so few cases, a few sentences can change the median a great deal. The records cannot show why the median changed.
| 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 20 | 14 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 38% |
| Convictions with confinement | 85% | 93% |
| Median confinement | 8 years | 2 years |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 94% | 93% |
| General courts-martial | 100% | 93% |
Punitive Discharges
13 of 14 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge: 12 dishonorable and 1 bad-conduct. Across all Air Force cases in 2020, the rate was 50%. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Court Level and Rank
13 cases were general courts-martial and 1 was a special court-martial. The general share was 93%, compared with 51% across the Air Force. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
The accused were 9 junior enlisted members and 5 NCOs. There were 0 officers. The rank mix was similar to all Air Force cases in 2020.
Other Charges
8 of the 14 cases charged Article 120b alone. Article 134 (general article) was added in 4 and Article 120 (sexual assault) in 2. Article 92 (orders violation), Article 82 (solicitation), and Article 107 (false official statement) were each added in 1.
What the Records Cannot Show
Air Force records rarely list the charges in a full acquittal, so no acquittal rate appears here. They never report plea agreements, even though most of these cases were guilty pleas. The records also do not include offense dates, the evidence, or cases resolved by nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, or no action.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 120b on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Air Force courts-martial with a trial date in 2020 that charged Article 120b (14 cases), compared with all Air Force cases that year and with 2019.
Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in Military Trial Results, data updated October 24, 2026. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: how this data was built. Errors: content@bodiesburied.com.
Related Analysis
- Article 120b (Rape and Sexual Assault of a Child): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Year (hub)
- Child Sexual Abuse at Air Force Courts-Martial, 2019: The Year in Numbers (previous / next)
- How Has Article 120b Changed in Air Force Courts-Martial Since 2016? (the full trend)
- Child Sexual Abuse at Air Force Courts-Martial, 2017: The Year in Numbers
- How Air Force Child Sexual Abuse Cases Ended in 2016
- How Air Force Child Sexual Abuse Cases Ended in 2018
- Army Article 120b Cases in 2023
- How Much Confinement for an Article 120b Conviction in the Air Force?
- Article 120b explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Compare: federal court. Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Federal Sentences vs. Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025
About the author. Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts Where All The Bodies Are Buried and runs the Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart. This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.