How Army Child Sexual Abuse Cases Ended in 2024
Every Army conviction in 2024 courts-martial charging Article 120b (child sexual abuse) included confinement. The median term was 5 years, compared with 6 months for all Army cases. Across 42 cases, 100% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Offense › Article 120b › Army, 2024
Short answer: Every Army conviction in 2024 courts-martial charging Article 120b (child sexual abuse) included confinement. The median term was 5 years, compared with 6 months for all Army cases. Across 42 cases, 100% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge. Of 21 contested cases that reached a verdict, 5 ended in a full acquittal (24%).
A Median of 5 Years
Of 37 cases ending in a conviction on at least one charge, all 37 sentences included confinement (100%). The median was 5 years, and a quarter of the terms were 11 years or longer. The Army-wide median in 2024 was 6 months.
Terms of 5 years or more were given in 19 convictions (51%), compared with 7% for all Army cases. Terms of more than one year were given in 30 of 37 convictions (81%), compared with 28% Army-wide. Only 3 convictions (8%) were under 6 months, compared with 43% for the Army.
These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and each covers every charge in the case.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Army cases in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 0 | 0% | 13% |
| Under 6 months | 3 | 8% | 43% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 4 | 11% | 15% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 11 | 30% | 21% |
| 5 years or more | 19 | 51% | 7% |
Longer Sentences Than in 2023
The median term went from 2.7 years in 2023 to 5 years in 2024. In the same period, convictions with confinement went from 94% to 100%. Enlisted punitive discharges went from 90% to 100%. The number of cases went from 37 to 42.
The contested share rose from 41% to 50%. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict went from 5 of 15 to 5 of 21. General courts-martial were 100% of cases with a court level listed in both years.
These trials took place in the first full year after the rule changes described below. The records cannot show whether those changes are connected to the longer terms. In groups this small, a few cases can change the figures.
| 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 37 | 42 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 41% | 50% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 5 of 15 | 5 of 21 |
| Convictions with confinement | 94% | 100% |
| Median confinement | 2.7 years | 5 years |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 90% | 100% |
| General courts-martial | 100% | 100% |
Every Enlisted Conviction Included a Punitive Discharge
A punitive discharge was adjudged in 100% of enlisted convictions: 27 dishonorable and 7 bad-conduct. The Army-wide share in 2024 was 72%. A dishonorable discharge, the more severe form, can come only from a general court-martial.
Of 3 convicted officers or warrant officers, 2 were dismissed, the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge.
Every enlisted member convicted under this article in 2024 received both confinement and a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge.
50% of the Cases Were Contested
Contested cases made up 50% of those with a plea recorded: 21 not-guilty or mixed pleas and 21 guilty pleas. The Army-wide contested share was 27%. All 21 guilty pleas are recorded with a plea agreement, although Army records do not show what the agreements said.
Of the 21 contested cases that reached a verdict, 5 ended in a full acquittal (24%), lower than the 37% for all Army cases in 2024. Another 8 ended in a partial acquittal: the accused was acquitted of at least one charge or specification and convicted of another. Army results list findings charge by charge, so partial acquittals are common.
Who Decided Guilt
The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. A military judge alone decided 28 of 42 cases (67%), and members heard 14: 10 enlisted panels and 4 officer panels. Among contested cases, members heard 14 of 21 (67%).
Most judge-alone cases are guilty pleas.
Most contested child sexual abuse cases in 2024 were decided by a panel, not a judge alone. The records show the forum, not the reasons it was chosen.
Other Charges in the Same Case
Article 120b was the only charge in 18 of 42 cases. In the other cases, it was charged with Article 134 (general article) in 10, Article 120 (sexual assault) in 5, Article 128 (assault) in 4, Article 131b (obstruction) in 3, and Article 107 (false official statement) in 2.
Rank and Installation
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 52% of the accused, NCOs 40%, and officers 7%. The junior enlisted share was about the same as the 53% for the Army as a whole.
Fort Campbell tried 5 of these cases, Fort Bliss 4, and Fort Leavenworth, Fort Stewart, and Fort Polk 3 each. Together they tried 43% of the 42. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.
The New Rules and Their Limits
Article 120b is a covered offense. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel rather than commanders decide whether to prosecute covered offenses. When every guilty finding involves an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence within new sentencing parameters. Both rules depend on offense dates, which the records do not give. As a result, 2024 trials include cases under old and new rules.
What the Records Do Not Show
The records show trial dates, charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not describe the evidence or the plea terms, and they omit matters handled by 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.
How We Counted
Army courts-martial with a trial date in 2024 that charged Article 120b (42 cases), compared with all Army cases that year and with 2023.
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)
- Army Article 120b Cases in 2023 (previous / next)
- How Army Child Sexual Abuse Cases Ended in 2025 (previous / next)
- Fewer or More? Child Sexual Abuse Charges at Army Courts-Martial, 2021–2025 (the full trend)
- Child Sexual Abuse at Army Courts-Martial, 2021: The Year in Numbers
- Child Sexual Abuse at Army Courts-Martial, 2022: The Year in Numbers
- How Much Confinement for an Article 120b Conviction in the Army?
- 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. 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.