> ## 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. # Child Sexual Abuse Plus General Article: Courts-Martial Charging Articles 120b and 134 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-120b-and-article-134-charged-together/ - Published: 2026-10-28T06:55:03.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T01:47:26.000Z - Description: Courts-martial that charged child sexual abuse together with the general article had longer confinement than Article 120b cases overall: a median of 6.2 years, compared with 3.3 years. In 164 Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases from 2013–2026, most of the accused pleaded guilty. - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Article 120b, Article 134 [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/) › With Article 134 **Short answer:** Courts-martial that charged child sexual abuse together with the general article had longer confinement than Article 120b cases overall: a median of 6.2 years, compared with 3.3 years. In 164 Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases from 2013–2026, most of the accused pleaded guilty. Only 22% of cases were contested, compared with 36% for all Article 120b cases. Based on 164 cases · 2013–2026 · Army, Navy, and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026 ## Median Confinement of 6.2 Years Article 134, the general article, covers conduct that harms good order and discipline or brings discredit on the armed forces. It includes a range of specific offenses. Cases that charged it with Article 120b (child sexual abuse) had long sentences. Of 155 convictions, 98% included confinement. The median confinement was 6.2 years. For all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 120b, the median was 3.3 years. A quarter of the sentences here were 15 years or longer. ## Sentences by Length Confinement of more than one year was given in 135 of 155 convictions, or 87%, compared with 76% for all Article 120b cases. The most common length was 5 years or more, with 85 convictions (55%), compared with 42% in the comparison group. Only 1 conviction (1%) included less than 6 months, and 3 (2%) included no confinement. These are adjudged sentences that cover every charge in the case, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. | Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 120b | | ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | | No confinement | 3 | 2% | 4% | | Under 6 months | 1 | 1% | 5% | | 6 months to 1 year | 16 | 10% | 15% | | More than 1 year, under 5 years | 50 | 32% | 35% | | 5 years or more | 85 | 55% | 42% | ## Most of the Accused Pleaded Guilty The plea is listed in 134 of the 164 records. In 105, the accused pleaded guilty. In 29, the accused contested at least one charge by pleading not guilty or entering a mixed plea. The contested share was 22%, lower than the 36% for all Article 120b cases. An adjudged sentence is not the same as time served. A plea agreement may cap the confinement actually served, and the records do not show those terms. ## Verdicts in Contested Cases Of the 29 contested cases that reached a verdict, 28% ended in a full acquittal. That is slightly lower than the 32% for all Article 120b cases. Another 9 contested cases ended in a partial acquittal, meaning not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another. There were few contested cases. A few different verdicts would change these percentages noticeably. ## Almost Every Enlisted Conviction Included a Punitive Discharge Of 148 convicted enlisted members, 142 received a punitive discharge: 123 dishonorable and 19 bad-conduct. For all Article 120b cases, the share was 96%. All 6 convicted officers or warrant officers were dismissed. Dismissal is the officer form of a punitive discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation. ## Rank and Court Level The accused were 105 junior enlisted members, 50 NCOs, and 7 officers. The records describe this mix as more junior than all Article 120b cases. General courts-martial, which can impose any lawful sentence, heard 160 of the 163 cases with a court level listed (98%), compared with 97% for the comparison group. The court level is not listed for 1 case. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot adjudge a dishonorable discharge. ## Other Charges in These Cases In the comparison group, 163 of 563 Article 120b cases charged that article alone. In this group, every case also charged the general article. Other charges were common: Article 80 (attempt) in 46 cases, Article 120 (sexual assault) in 43, Article 128 (assault) in 38, and Article 82 (solicitation) in 33\. Each sentence covers every charge of conviction, so these other charges are part of the sentence and discharge figures. ## More Cases in Recent Years Trials took place from July 2013 to September 2026\. The highest yearly count was 25 in 2021\. Later years also had many cases: 19 in 2023, 17 in 2025, and 17 so far in 2026, a partial year. Camp Lejeune, North Carolina had the most cases, with 18\. Okinawa, Japan had 12, and San Diego, California, Camp Pendleton, California, and Fort Drum had 9 each. These 5 installations account for 35% of the 164 cases. Installations with more people try more cases of every kind, so a high count does not by itself point to a problem at any one base. ## What the Records Do Not Show Article 120b is a covered offense. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute covered offenses. The records list trial dates, not offense dates, so they cannot sort cases under the old and new rules. The records also do not include the evidence, the plea-agreement terms, or matters handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation. They cannot explain why a case ended as it did. 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 Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial that charged both Article 120b and Article 134 (164 cases). Air Force cases are left out because Air Force records rarely list the charges in acquittals. 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) - [Article 134 (General Article): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-134-courts-martial/) (hub) - [Child Sexual Abuse Plus Attempt: Courts-Martial Charging Articles 120b and 80](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-120b-and-article-80-charged-together/) - [Articles 120b and 128 in the Same Case: What the Records Show](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-120b-and-article-128-charged-together/) - [When Article 120b and Article 82 Are Charged Together, How Do Cases End?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-120b-and-article-82-charged-together/) - [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 Cases vs. Article 120b Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-sexual-abuse-enticement-vs-article-120b/) **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.