> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Air Force Child Sexual Abuse Cases Against Junior Enlisted (E-1 to E-4): Outcomes and Sentences - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-120b-junior-enlisted/ - Published: 2026-10-28T08:18:51.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T01:46:12.000Z - Description: The Air Force tried 109 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) on Article 120b child sexual abuse charges from 2016–2025. 97% of those convicted received a punitive discharge, the same rate as all Air Force Article 120b cases. - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Article 120b, Air Force [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Offense](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-offense/) › [Article 120b](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-120b-courts-martial/) › Junior Enlisted (E-1 to E-4) **Short answer:** The Air Force tried 109 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) on Article 120b child sexual abuse charges from 2016–2025\. 97% of those convicted received a punitive discharge, the same rate as all Air Force Article 120b cases. The median confinement was 2.6 years, compared with 3 years for the offense overall. Based on 109 cases · 2016–2025 · Air Force records · data updated October 24, 2026 ## Almost Every Conviction Included a Punitive Discharge 106 of the 109 convicted junior enlisted members (97%) received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge. That is the same as the 97% for all Air Force Article 120b cases. 89 of those were dishonorable discharges, the most severe type. Only a general court-martial can adjudge a dishonorable discharge. 105 of these 109 cases (96%) were general courts-martial. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. ## Most Sentences Were Measured in Years 105 of the 109 convictions included confinement (96%). The median confinement was 2.6 years, somewhat shorter than the 3 years for all Air Force Article 120b cases. A quarter of terms were 6 years or longer. 81 of 109 convictions (74%) were sentenced to more than one year, slightly less often than the 77% for the offense as a whole. 46 convictions (42%) were sentenced to more than 1 year but under 5 years, compared with 39%. 35 (32%) were sentenced to 5 years or more, compared with 38%. | Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Air Force Article 120b cases | | ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | --------------------------------------- | | No confinement | 4 | 4% | 4% | | Under 6 months | 3 | 3% | 3% | | 6 months to 1 year | 21 | 19% | 15% | | More than 1 year, under 5 years | 46 | 42% | 39% | | 5 years or more | 35 | 32% | 38% | ## Shorter Sentences Only 4 convictions (4%) had no confinement, the same share as the offense overall. 3 (3%) were sentenced to under 6 months. 21 convictions (19%) were sentenced to 6 months to 1 year, compared with 15% for all Air Force Article 120b cases. These are adjudged sentences, recorded at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. They cover every charge in the case. ## Most Accused Pleaded Guilty Only 47 of the 109 records list a plea. Air Force records from 2016 to 2019 rarely list a guilty plea. Among those 47 cases, 28 accused pleaded guilty and 19 contested at least one charge with a not-guilty or mixed plea. The contested share was 40%, about the same as the 41% for all Air Force Article 120b cases. A partial acquittal is a finding of not guilty on at least one charge or specification and guilty on another. 6 of the 19 contested cases ended in a partial acquittal (32%). ## Who Decided Guilt The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. A military judge alone decided 77 of the 109 cases (71%). Members heard 32: 17 officer panels and 15 enlisted panels. Members heard 13 of the 19 contested cases (68%). Most judge-alone cases are guilty pleas, so the split between judge and members follows the plea figures. ## The General Article Was Often Charged Too In 53 of the 109 cases, at least one other article was charged with Article 120b. The general article, Article 134, was the most common, in 44 cases. Orders violations under Article 92 were charged in 8 cases, Article 120, sexual assault, in 6, drug offenses under Article 112a in 4, and assault under Article 128 in 3\. Each sentence covers every charge in the case. The confinement and discharge figures on this page therefore include these other offenses as well as the child sexual abuse charge. ## The Most Cases Were in 2018 The cases were tried from April 2016 to December 2025\. There were 14 cases in 2016, 14 in 2017, and 22 in 2018, the highest yearly count. There were 12 in 2019, 9 in 2020, and 5 in 2021\. From 2022 through 2025 there were between 6 and 10 each year. Junior enlisted members were 60% of the accused in all Air Force Article 120b cases. They are the largest rank group for the offense. With yearly totals this small, a few trials can change a single year noticeably. ## Bases With the Most Cases Kadena AB, Japan, tried 13 of these cases, more than any other installation. Eglin AFB, Florida, tried 7\. Sheppard AFB, Texas, Cannon AFB, New Mexico, and Misawa AB, Japan, each tried 4\. These 5 bases account for 29% of the cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind, so a high count alone does not mean a base has a problem with this offense. ## Rule Changes and What the Records Do Not Show The Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019\. Article 120b has been a covered offense handled by special trial counsel since December 28, 2023\. Both changes depend on the offense date, which the records do not give. Later trials therefore include cases under both the old and new rules. Air Force records rarely list the charges in full acquittals, so this page gives no acquittal rate. The records also do not show the evidence, plea terms, or matters handled outside a court-martial. For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see [Article 120b on the law firm's website](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-120b/?ref=bodiesburied.com). Dates and sources for the law changes: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/). ### How We Counted Air Force courts-martial tried 2016–2025 that charged junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) under Article 120b (109 cases), compared with every Air Force Article 120b case. Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in [Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/), data updated October 24, 2026\. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: [how this data was built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/how-the-military-trial-results-data-was-built/). Errors: content@bodiesburied.com. ## Related Analysis - [Article 120b (Rape and Sexual Assault of a Child): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-120b-courts-martial/) (hub) - [Air Force Courts-Martial: Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial/) (hub) - [Army Child Sexual Abuse Cases Against Junior Enlisted (E-1 to E-4): Outcomes and Sentences](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-120b-junior-enlisted/) - [NCOs (E-5 to E-9) Charged Under Article 120b in the Army](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-120b-ncos/) - [NCOs (E-5 to E-9) Charged Under Article 120b in the Air Force](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-120b-ncos/) - [Fewer or More? Child Sexual Abuse Charges at Army Courts-Martial, 2021–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-120b-trend-2021-2025/) - [How Has Article 120b Changed in Air Force Courts-Martial Since 2016?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-120b-trend-2016-2025/) - [Article 120b explained on the law firm's website](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-120b/?ref=bodiesburied.com) - [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members) **Compare: federal court.** [Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Federal Sentences vs. Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-sex-offenses-vs-air-force/) **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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.