> ## 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. # Sexual Abuse of an Adult Charges: How Often Federal Trials and Courts-Martial End in Acquittal - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-acquittal-rate-vs-courts-martial/ - Published: 2026-11-03T01:38:26.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T01:38:26.000Z - Description: Of 620 contested Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial for sexual abuse of an adult that reached a verdict from 2016 to 2025, 305 ended in a full acquittal (49%). In federal court, 79 of 276 trials under 18 U.S.C. 2241 to 2244 ended in an acquittal (29%). The groups are not counted the same wa - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Sexual Abuse of an Adult](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-sexual-abuse-adult-vs-article-120/) › Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Acquittals **In brief:** Of 620 contested Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial for sexual abuse of an adult that reached a verdict from 2016 to 2025, 305 ended in a full acquittal (49%). In federal court, 79 of 276 trials under 18 U.S.C. 2241 to 2244 ended in an acquittal (29%). The groups are not counted the same way, so these percentages should be read as separate measures. Updated November 2, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judicial Center, fiscal years 2016–2025 · Military Trial Results This post uses the Federal Judicial Center's records of 2,093 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, compared with court-martial results from this site's Military Trial Results data (updated November 2, 2026). The series also draws on the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 659,036 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. It is part of the [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) series, which builds on [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/). How the numbers were built: [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/). ## Full and Partial Acquittals in Courts-Martial The court-martial group is every contested case that reached a verdict. A court-martial is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. Air Force records rarely list the charges in acquittals, so Air Force cases are left out. Of the 620 cases, 305 ended in a full acquittal (49%). Another 173 (28%) were partial acquittals, meaning not guilty of at least one charge and guilty of another. ## Who Decided Guilt The acquittal rate was different depending on the forum. A judge alone decided 158 cases, with 48 full acquittals (30%). Members decided 238 cases, with 118 full acquittals (50%). Among members, enlisted panels decided 203 cases with 108 full acquittals (53%). Officer panels decided 35 cases with 10 full acquittals (29%). The 224 cases with no forum listed had 139 full acquittals (62%), so the forum is unknown for a large part of the group. ## What Federal Court Counts The Federal Judicial Center counted 2,093 defendants charged under 18 U.S.C. 2241 to 2244, with any victim age, whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. Of these, 1,555 (74%) pleaded guilty, 262 (13%) had their cases dismissed, and 276 (13%) went to trial. Of the 276 trials, 79 ended in an acquittal (29%). There were 257 jury trials with 72 acquittals (28%) and 19 bench trials, decided by a judge, with 7 acquittals (37%). In total, 1,752 of the 2,093 defendants (84%) were convicted by plea or at trial. ## Year-by-Year Acquittals The first table lists each year. The court-martial figures are full acquittals of contested cases. The federal figures are acquittals among trials. In 2016, courts-martial had 22 full acquittals in 36 contested cases, and federal court had 8 acquittals in 27 trials. In 2021, the court-martial figure was 64 of 157, and the federal figure was 7 of 18\. Federal trial counts were 38 in both 2022 and 2023, and 39 in 2024. | Year | Courts-martial: full acquittals of contested cases | Federal: acquittals of trials | | ---- | -------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | | 2016 | 22 of 36 | 8 of 27 | | 2017 | 20 of 33 | 11 of 24 | | 2018 | 16 of 34 | 11 of 21 | | 2019 | 21 of 35 | 6 of 26 | | 2020 | 14 of 22 | 7 of 21 | | 2021 | 64 of 157 | 7 of 18 | | 2022 | 47 of 104 | 8 of 38 | | 2023 | 45 of 87 | 8 of 38 | | 2024 | 31 of 69 | 7 of 39 | | 2025 | 25 of 43 | 6 of 24 | ## Federal Cases Each Year The second table covers all federal cases that ended, including pleas and dismissals. Cases ended ranged from 164 in 2020 to 264 in 2022\. The share dismissed was 18% in 2022 and 9% in 2023. Acquittals at trial were 52% of trials in 2018 and 18% in 2024\. These are single years with small counts of trials, and the rates move with a handful of cases. | Fiscal year | Cases ended | Pleaded guilty | Dismissed | Trials | Acquitted at trial | | ----------- | ----------- | -------------- | --------- | ------ | ------------------ | | 2016 | 209 | 74% | 13% | 27 | 8 (30%) | | 2017 | 201 | 77% | 11% | 24 | 11 (46%) | | 2018 | 189 | 77% | 12% | 21 | 11 (52%) | | 2019 | 226 | 79% | 10% | 26 | 6 (23%) | | 2020 | 164 | 73% | 14% | 21 | 7 (33%) | | 2021 | 179 | 76% | 14% | 18 | 7 (39%) | | 2022 | 264 | 67% | 18% | 38 | 8 (21%) | | 2023 | 238 | 75% | 9% | 38 | 8 (21%) | | 2024 | 234 | 71% | 12% | 39 | 7 (18%) | | 2025 | 189 | 77% | 11% | 24 | 6 (25%) | ## Why the Rates Do Not Match Up A federal felony needs a grand jury indictment, and federal prosecutors choose which cases to bring. A court-martial has no grand jury, and an Article 32 hearing officer's conclusions are recommendations. Federal case data does not report partial acquittals separately, so the federal 29% cannot be set beside the court-martial full acquittal rate without that caution. The federal data also includes cases with victims of any age. The records cannot show whether any acquittal reflects the strength of the evidence, the charging decisions, or the forum. ### How We Counted Courts-martial: Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial charging sexual abuse of an adult (Article 120 rape, sexual assault, and abusive sexual contact) with trial dates in 2016 to 2025 that were contested and reached a verdict (620). Federal: defendants charged under 18 U.S.C. 2241 to 2244 (any victim age) whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 (2,093; 276 trials), Federal Judicial Center, counted as in the federal courts' Table D-4. Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30\. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records. ### What to Keep in Mind **Who is in each set of numbers.** The federal sentencing numbers come from the U.S. Sentencing Commission. They count only people who were convicted and sentenced in federal district court. People whose cases were dismissed or who were acquitted are not in them. The military numbers come from court-martial results, which include acquittals. To compare acquittal or dismissal rates, the federal side uses a different source: the Federal Judicial Center's case data, which counts every defendant whose case ended. **Different cases reach each system.** Federal prosecutors bring a narrow set of cases. In fiscal year 2024, immigration and drug trafficking cases were 59% of everyone sentenced in federal court (36,664 of 61,678). Many crimes that the military prosecutes, such as most assaults, most sexual assaults between adults, and drug use, are usually state crimes for civilians and reach federal court only in special situations, such as on federal land or in Indian Country. A federal case and a court-martial for the same crime can involve different kinds of facts. **Time periods.** Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually. **Offense categories do not line up exactly.** Each comparison uses a federal offense group chosen to match the military article as closely as possible (see the crosswalk). Some matches are close; others are partial. The post says which federal guideline or statute was used and why it is not an exact match. **How "plea" and "trial" are counted.** In the federal sentencing numbers, "trial" means the person was convicted after a trial, including people who pleaded guilty to some counts and went to trial on others. People acquitted at trial are not in these numbers at all (see "Who is in each set of numbers"). In the federal case data, the trial rate counts both convictions and acquittals at trial among all defendants whose cases ended, including dismissed cases. Military numbers count contested cases that reached a verdict. These denominators are not the same, and each post states the one it uses. ## Related Analysis - [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/) (the background article) - [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) (all federal posts) - [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/) (sources and method) - [Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Cases vs. Article 120 Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-sexual-abuse-adult-vs-article-120/) (overview) - [Sexual Abuse of an Adult Sentences Since the 2023 Military Sentencing Reform: What the Data Shows So Far](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-2023-sentencing-reform-so-far/) - [Sexual Abuse of an Adult Charges: Federal Trial Acquittals vs. Contested Army Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-acquittal-rate-vs-army/) - [Sexual Abuse of an Adult Charges: Federal Trial Acquittals vs. Contested Marine Corps Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-acquittal-rate-vs-marine-corps/) - [Sexual Abuse of an Adult Charges: Federal Trial Acquittals vs. Contested Navy Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-acquittal-rate-vs-navy/) - [Guilty Pleas in Sexual Abuse of an Adult Cases: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-guilty-plea-rate-vs-courts-martial/) - [Sexual Abuse of an Adult Convictions of Junior Enlisted (E-1 to E-4): Courts-Martial Compared With Federal Court](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-junior-enlisted-vs-federal-court/) - [Are Courts-Martial More Likely to End in Acquittal Than Federal Trials?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-trial-acquittal-rates-vs-courts-martial/) (related comparison) - [Guilty Pleas in Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial, Year by Year](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-guilty-plea-rates-vs-courts-martial/) (related comparison) - [Child Pornography Sentences: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-pornography-sentences-vs-courts-martial/) (related comparison) - [Federal Law Has No Crime of Drug Use: How Article 112a Cases Compare](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-no-crime-of-drug-use-article-112a/) (related comparison) - [Drug Distribution and Importation: Federal vs. Court-Martial Sentences, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-distribution-importation-vs-article-112a/) (related comparison) - [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/) (related comparison) - [Theft and Fraud by Dollar Loss: Federal Sentences vs. Article 121 Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-dollar-loss-vs-article-121/) (related comparison) - [Fewer or More? Sexual Assault Charges at Army Courts-Martial, 2021–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-120-trend-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Article 120 Sentences in the Army: Confinement and Discharges, 2021–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-120-sent-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Fighting an Army Sexual Assault Charge: How Contested Cases Ended](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-120-acq-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [When Army Accused Plead Guilty to Sexual Assault](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-120-plea-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Is Air Force Sexual Assault Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 120, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-120-trend-2016-2025/) (court-martial data) - [How Much Confinement for an Article 120 Conviction in the Air Force?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-120-sent-2016-2025/) (court-martial data) - [When Air Force Accused Plead Guilty to Sexual Assault](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-120-plea-2016-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Is Navy-Marine Corps Sexual Assault Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 120, 2017–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-120-trend-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Article 120 Sentences in the Navy-Marine Corps: Confinement and Discharges, 2017–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-120-sent-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Not Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Article 120 Cases: What Happened at Trial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-120-acq-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Sexual Assault Cases: How Often, and What Came Next](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-120-plea-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Article 120 (Rape and Sexual Assault): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-120-courts-martial/) (court-martial data) - [Article 120 UCMJ Explained by a Former Special Victim Prosecutor](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-120-sexual-assault/?ref=bodiesburied.com) (law firm reference page) - [Forum Selection](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/forum-selection/?ref=bodiesburied.com) (law firm reference page) - [U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles](https://www.ussc.gov/research/datafiles/commission-datafiles?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source) - [Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants)](https://www.fjc.gov/research/idb?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source) **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.