Sexual Abuse of an Adult Sentences in 2018: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial
Courts-martial produced 89 convictions for sexual abuse of an adult with trial dates in 2018, while 41 people were sentenced for this kind of offense in federal court in fiscal year 2018. The median court-martial confinement was 38.4 months. The median federal prison term was 60 months, the lowest y
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In brief: Courts-martial produced 89 convictions for sexual abuse of an adult with trial dates in 2018, while 41 people were sentenced for this kind of offense in federal court in fiscal year 2018. The median court-martial confinement was 38.4 months. The median federal prison term was 60 months, the lowest yearly figure in the federal table for fiscal years 2016 to 2025.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 41 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal year 2018, compared with court-martial results from this site's Military Trial Results data (updated November 2, 2026). Acquittals and dismissals come from a second source, the Federal Judicial Center's records of 753,808 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. It is part of the Federal Prosecution Analysis series, which builds on Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System. How the numbers were built: How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built.
The Court-Martial Count for 2018
The 89 court-martial convictions were for Article 120 rape, sexual assault, and abusive sexual contact. By service, 34 were Air Force, 24 were Navy, and 31 were Marine Corps. Army court-martial records in this data start in 2020, so no Army cases appear for 2018.
83 of the 89 convictions (93%) came from a general court-martial. 76 of the 89 with a sentence recorded (85%) included confinement.
The median adjudged confinement was 38.4 months, or 3.2 years. A quarter of those convicted received 77.9 months or more, and 1 received confinement for life. These are sentences as adjudged at trial, before clemency or appeal.
Side by Side With Federal Court
In federal court, 39 of the 41 people (95%) received a prison term. 1 person (2%) received probation only. Among those sent to prison, the median term was 60 months (5 years).
The federal range was wide. A quarter received 156 months or more, and a quarter received 24 months or less. Federal prison terms are the terms imposed at sentencing, not the time served.
The federal group covers people sentenced under guideline §2A3.1 or §2A3.4 where the statute of conviction shows an adult victim (18 U.S.C. 2241(a)/(b), 2242, 2244). Fiscal year 2018 ran from October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018. The court-martial year is a calendar year based on trial date, so the periods overlap only in part.
| Courts-martial, 2018 | Federal court, FY2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Convictions or people sentenced | 89 | 41 |
| Sentenced to confinement or prison | 85% | 95% |
| Median confinement or prison | 38.4 months | 60 months |
| A quarter received this or more | 77.9 months | 156 months |
| Pleaded guilty | 23 of 63 with a plea recorded (37%) | 95% |
| Mandatory minimum applied | See the caveats | 0 of 41 with the information (0%) |
Officers and Enlisted Members
7 officers were convicted at courts-martial in 2018, and all 7 were dismissed. Dismissal is the punitive discharge that applies to officers.
Among the 81 enlisted members convicted, 73 received a punitive discharge (90%). Of those, 63 were dishonorable discharges and 10 were bad-conduct discharges.
Pleas and Trials
Of 63 court-martial convictions with a plea recorded, 23 (37%) were guilty pleas. The median confinement after a guilty plea was 38 months, across 22 cases with confinement. In contested cases ending in conviction, it was 36 months, across 30 cases with confinement. In 2018, these medians were about the same.
In federal court, 39 of 41 (95%) pleaded guilty, and 2 were convicted after a trial. The median prison term after a guilty plea was 60 months. After a trial it was 141 months, but that number comes from only 2 people and says little on its own. Among federal guilty pleas, 97% had a written plea agreement and 3% were straight pleas.
Guidelines, Supervision, and Money Penalties
Within-range sentences made up 39% (16) of the federal group. 34% (14) were below the range at the government's request, 17% (7) were below it without such a request, and 10% (4) were above it. No mandatory minimum applied: 0 (0%).
Supervised release after prison was ordered for 39 people (95%), with a median term of 60 months. Only 1 (2%) received supervised release for life. A fine was ordered for 1 (2%), and restitution for 7 (17%).
56% of the federal group were in criminal history category I and 5% in category VI. Court-martial records carry no criminal history field.
How 2018 Compares With Other Federal Years
Across every year in the data, courts-martial recorded 901 convictions with trial dates from 2016 to 2025, at a median confinement of 24 months. Federal court sentenced 531 people in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, at a median prison term of 74 months. With 41 people, fiscal year 2018 had one of the smaller federal counts in the table.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 63 | 70 months | 83% |
| 2017 | 58 | 70 months | 95% |
| 2018 | 41 | 60 months | 95% |
| 2019 | 64 | 85.5 months | 86% |
| 2020 | 40 | 102 months | 83% |
| 2021 | 45 | 84 months | 87% |
| 2022 | 59 | 61.5 months | 88% |
| 2023 | 55 | 72 months | 85% |
| 2024 | 53 | 65 months | 81% |
| 2025 | 53 | 90 months | 89% |
Questions the Data Cannot Answer
The records cannot show why 2018 sentences were what they were, or how the cases in each system compared in seriousness. They leave out cases that ended without a conviction. Small groups, such as the federal trial count, can change a median a great deal from year to year.
How We Counted
Courts-martial with a trial date in 2018 ending in a conviction for sexual abuse of an adult (Article 120 rape, sexual assault, and abusive sexual contact) (89). Federal: people sentenced in fiscal year 2018 under primary sentencing guideline §2A3.1 or §2A3.4 where the statute of conviction shows an adult victim (18 U.S.C. 2241(a)/(b), 2242, 2244) (41), U.S. Sentencing Commission.
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.
No parole in federal prison; credit for good conduct. Federal prison has no parole for crimes committed on or after November 1, 1987. A federal prisoner can earn up to 54 days of good conduct credit for each year of the sentence the judge imposed, which is about 15%. Some federal prisoners can also earn First Step Act time credits, but many offenses make a person ineligible. The numbers in this post are the sentences judges imposed, not the time people actually served.
Military confinement credit and parole. For military sentences adjudged after 2004, good conduct time is 5 days for each month of confinement, about 16%. Military prisoners can also earn up to 8 more days a month for work and programs and up to 2 days a month for special acts, with a limit of 15 days a month in total. Military prisoners can be considered for parole by their service's clemency and parole board. The military numbers in this post are the confinement adjudged at trial, not the time served.
Military sentences include punishments federal sentences do not. A court-martial sentence can include a punitive discharge (bad-conduct discharge, dishonorable discharge, or dismissal for officers), reduction in rank, and forfeiture of pay. These have no federal counterpart. A comparison of months of confinement leaves them out. A short confinement term combined with a dishonorable discharge is a heavier sentence than the months alone show.
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.
Related Analysis
- Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System (the background article)
- Federal Prosecution Analysis (all federal posts)
- How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built (sources and method)
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Cases vs. Article 120 Courts-Martial (overview)
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult Sentences in 2017: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial (previous or next year)
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult Sentences in 2019: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial (previous or next year)
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult Sentences Since the 2023 Military Sentencing Reform: What the Data Shows So Far
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Sentences vs. Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Sentences vs. Marine Corps Courts-Martial
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Sentences vs. Navy Courts-Martial, 2016–2025
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Courts-Martial at Bremerton vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Washington
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Courts-Martial at Joint Base Lewis-McChord vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Washington
- Fewer or More? Sexual Assault Charges at Army Courts-Martial, 2021–2025 (court-martial data)
- Article 120 Sentences in the Army: Confinement and Discharges, 2021–2025 (court-martial data)
- Fighting an Army Sexual Assault Charge: How Contested Cases Ended (court-martial data)
- When Army Accused Plead Guilty to Sexual Assault (court-martial data)
- Is Air Force Sexual Assault Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 120, 2016–2025 (court-martial data)
- How Much Confinement for an Article 120 Conviction in the Air Force? (court-martial data)
- When Air Force Accused Plead Guilty to Sexual Assault (court-martial data)
- Is Navy-Marine Corps Sexual Assault Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 120, 2017–2025 (court-martial data)
- Article 120 Sentences in the Navy-Marine Corps: Confinement and Discharges, 2017–2025 (court-martial data)
- Not Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Article 120 Cases: What Happened at Trial (court-martial data)
- Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Sexual Assault Cases: How Often, and What Came Next (court-martial data)
- Article 120 (Rape and Sexual Assault): Court-Martial Data and Trends (court-martial data)
- Article 120 UCMJ Explained by a Former Special Victim Prosecutor (law firm reference page)
- U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles (source)
- Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants) (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. This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.