How Much Confinement for an Article 120b Conviction in the Air Force?

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Based on 181 cases · 2016–2025 · Air Force records · data updated October 24, 2026

Confinement Was Measured in Years

This post covers Air Force courts-martial that ended in a conviction under Article 120b, which covers sexual offenses against children. 173 of the 181 convictions included confinement. The median confinement was 3 years, compared with 4 months for all Air Force convictions in the same years. A quarter of the sentences were 8 years or longer.

These are adjudged sentences, as announced at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case.

How Long Were the Sentences?

140 of 181 convictions (77%) were sentenced to more than one year, compared with 23% across all Air Force convictions. 39% of convictions here were sentenced to more than 1 year and under 5 years. 38% were sentenced to 5 years or more, compared with 7% Air Force-wide.

Short sentences were uncommon. 3% of these convictions were sentenced to under 6 months, compared with 48% of Air Force convictions overall. 8 convictions (4%) had no confinement. 15% were sentenced to 6 months to 1 year, the same share as Air Force-wide.

Most Punitive Discharges Were Dishonorable

168 of 174 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge: 140 dishonorable discharges and 28 bad-conduct discharges. In all Air Force convictions, the share was 56%.

All 7 convicted officers or warrant officers were dismissed. A dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.

Almost All Cases Were General Courts-Martial

General courts-martial heard 177 of the 181 cases, and special courts-martial heard 4. The general court-martial share was 98%, compared with 46% in all Air Force convictions.

A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge or dismissal. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.

Pleas and Who Decided Guilt

Only 76 of the 181 records list the plea. Among those, 46 accused pleaded guilty and 30 contested at least one charge. The contested share was 39%, compared with 31% in all Air Force convictions. Air Force records from 2016 to 2019 rarely list a guilty plea, and they never report plea agreements.

Of the 30 contested cases, 10 ended in a partial acquittal (33%): the accused was found not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another.

Members heard 33% of the cases with the forum listed: 28 enlisted panels and 31 officer panels. A military judge alone heard 121. Members heard 22 of the 30 contested cases (73%). The accused usually chooses the forum, and most judge-alone cases are guilty pleas.

Which Other Offenses Were Charged?

In 89 of the 181 cases, at least one other article was charged. Article 134 (the general article) was the most common, in 65 cases. Article 120 (sexual assault) was charged in 20, Article 92 (orders violation) in 9, Article 128 (assault) in 9, and Article 120c (indecent recording and exposure) in 6. The records name the article but not the specific offense under it. One sentence covers every charge in a case, so the confinement figures above describe whole cases, including these other charges.

Rank of the Accused

The accused were 109 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 65 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 7 officers or warrant officers. This group is more senior than all Air Force convictions, where 66% were junior enlisted.

Yearly Counts, Bases, and Rule Changes

There were 23 cases in 2016, 24 in 2017, 34 in 2018, 20 in 2019, and 14 in 2020. There were 10 in 2021, 13 in 2022, 11 in 2023, 15 in 2024, and 17 in 2025. Kadena AB, Japan, had the most cases (13). Eglin AFB, Florida, had 9, Ramstein AB, Germany, had 8, Scott AFB, Illinois, had 8, and Keesler AFB, Mississippi, had 6. Together these bases had 24% of the 181 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.

Article 120b is a covered offense. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel decide whether to prosecute covered offenses. New sentencing parameters apply when every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023. Both depend on offense dates, which these records do not give.

What This Page Does Not Show

Air Force records rarely list the charges in a case that ends in a full acquittal, so this page gives no acquittal rate for Article 120b. The records also do not show the evidence, the facts of each offense, or allegations handled outside a court-martial.

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.

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.