Child Sexual Abuse at Army Courts-Martial, 2021: The Year in Numbers

Trends › By Offense › Article 120b › Army, 2021

Based on 43 cases · 2021 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

Confinement in 100% of Convictions

Of 43 cases, 39 ended in a conviction, and confinement was part of 100% of those sentences. Across all Army cases in 2021, 19% of convictions included no confinement. Here, none did.

The median term was 3.2 years, and a quarter of the terms were 10.8 years or longer. Of those terms, 1 was a life sentence. These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and each covers every charge in the case.

Every conviction under this article in 2021 included confinement, and the figures differ only in length. Across most other Army cases, sentences without confinement are common.

Sentence Lengths by Band

Terms of 5 years or more were the most common band: 15 convictions (38%), compared with 8% for the Army. Terms of more than 1 year to under 5 years were given in 14 (36%), compared with 18%. Altogether, 29 of 39 convictions (74%) included more than one year, compared with 26% Army-wide.

Only 2 convictions (5%) included less than 6 months, compared with 37% for all Army cases. Terms of 6 months to 1 year were given in 8 (21%).

Most Punitive Discharges Were Dishonorable

A punitive discharge, either bad-conduct or dishonorable, was adjudged in 35 of 37 enlisted convictions: 28 dishonorable and 7 bad-conduct. Across all Army cases in 2021 the share was 70%.

Both convicted officers or warrant officers, 2 in all, were dismissed. A dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. Only a general court-martial can adjudge a dishonorable discharge. Nearly all of these cases were general courts-martial: 42 general and 1 special court-martial. The general share was 98%, compared with 73% for the Army.

A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out an administrative separation afterward. In this group, few sentences had no punitive discharge.

Pleas and Contested Cases

Of 43 accused, 25 pleaded guilty and 18 contested at least one charge. The 42% contested share was higher than the 36% for all Army cases. Plea agreements are recorded for 24 of the 25 guilty pleas, and 1 has no entry. The records do not show their terms.

Among the 18 contested cases that reached a verdict, 4 ended in a full acquittal (22%), lower than the 35% across the Army. Another 9 (50%) ended in a partial acquittal, where the accused was found not guilty of at least one charge or specification but guilty of another. Army results list findings charge by charge, so partial acquittals are common.

Most contested child sexual abuse cases in 2021 ended in a conviction on at least one charge. Only 4 of the 18 contested cases ended in a full acquittal.

Panels and Judges

The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. A judge alone decided 33 cases, and enlisted panels decided 10. No case went to an officer panel. Members heard 23% of the cases, about the same as the 22% Army-wide. They heard 10 of 18 contested cases (56%).

Most judge-alone cases are guilty pleas.

Other Charges in the Same Case

Of the 43 cases, 29 charged at least one other article. Article 128 (assault) appeared in 13, Article 134 (general article) in 10, Article 120 (sexual assault) in 9, Article 80 (attempt) in 6, and Article 92 (orders violation) in 4.

A sentence covers all findings, so the long terms above may include these other convictions as well as the Article 120b finding.

The Accused and Their Installations

Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 63% of the accused, NCOs 30%, and officers 7%. Across the Army in 2021, junior enlisted members were 58%.

Fort Campbell tried 5 of these cases, Fort Hood and Fort Drum 4 each, and Fort Stewart and Joint Base Lewis-McChord 3 each. Together they tried 44% of the 43. Larger installations try more cases of every kind, so a count alone does not show much about a base.

A First Year With No Earlier Comparison

The services were required to begin publishing trial records under Article 140a by December 2020, and Army records in this data are sparse before 2021, so this year has no earlier comparison.

The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They do not describe the evidence or plea terms, and they do not include matters handled through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.

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. Army Courts-Martial

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.