Sexual Abuse of an Adult Sentences in 2020: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial
Fiscal year 2020 had the highest median federal prison term for sexual abuse of an adult in the federal table: 102 months, across 40 people sentenced. Court-martial convictions with 2020 trial dates numbered 58, and their median confinement was 24 months. Courts-martial recorded a guilty plea in 62%
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In brief: Fiscal year 2020 had the highest median federal prison term for sexual abuse of an adult in the federal table: 102 months, across 40 people sentenced. Court-martial convictions with 2020 trial dates numbered 58, and their median confinement was 24 months. Courts-martial recorded a guilty plea in 62% of convictions with a plea recorded, compared with 83% of the federal cases.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 40 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal year 2020, 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.
A High Federal Median on a Small Count
The federal median of 102 months equals 8.5 years. It counts only people sent to prison, and it is the term imposed, not the time served. The figure is higher than in any other fiscal year from 2016 to 2025 in the table.
With only 40 people sentenced, a few long sentences can move the median. A quarter received 171.5 months or more, and 1 person received a life sentence. A quarter received 48 months or less.
For all years combined, the federal median prison term was 74 months across 531 people. The court-martial median for all years was 24 months across 901 convictions, the same as the 2020 court-martial median.
| 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% |
Court-Martial Sentences in 2020
The 58 convictions were for Article 120 rape, sexual assault, and abusive sexual contact. The Marine Corps had 30, the Navy 15, and the Air Force 13.
52 of the 58 convictions with a sentence recorded (90%) included confinement. A quarter of those convicted received 72 months or more. These are adjudged sentences, set at trial and before any clemency or appeal.
51 of the 58 (88%) were tried at a general court-martial. Among the 55 enlisted members convicted, 47 (85%) received a punitive discharge: 37 dishonorable discharges and 10 bad-conduct discharges. Both of the 2 officers convicted were dismissed.
Comparing the Main Measures
In federal court, 39 of the 40 people (98%) received a prison term, and 1 (3%) received probation only. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 1 (3%).
The federal count 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 2020 ran from October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020. Court-martial years are calendar years by trial date, so the federal year began in the previous calendar year.
| Courts-martial, 2020 | Federal court, FY2020 | |
|---|---|---|
| Convictions or people sentenced | 58 | 40 |
| Sentenced to confinement or prison | 90% | 98% |
| Median confinement or prison | 24 months | 102 months |
| A quarter received this or more | 72 months | 171.5 months |
| Pleaded guilty | 31 of 50 with a plea recorded (62%) | 83% |
| Mandatory minimum applied | See the caveats | 1 of 40 with the information (3%) |
Guilty Pleas and Contested Cases
Of 50 court-martial convictions with a plea recorded, 31 were guilty pleas. Their median confinement was 30 months, across 30 cases with confinement. Contested cases that ended in conviction had a median of 18 months, across 14 cases with confinement.
In federal court, 33 of 40 pleaded guilty and 7 were convicted after a trial. The median prison term was 99 months after a guilty plea and 175 months after a trial. The trial figure is based on 7 people convicted at trial and sent to prison.
Every federal guilty plea in this group had a written plea agreement: 100%, with 0% straight pleas.
Other Parts of the Federal Sentence
Measured against the guideline range, 45% (18) of federal sentences were within it. 35% (14) were below it at the government's request, 18% (7) were below it without a government request, and 3% (1) were above it.
Supervised release after prison was ordered for 39 (98%), with a median term of 60 months. 5 (13%) received supervised release for life. A fine was ordered for 2 (5%) and restitution for 6 (15%).
55% were in criminal history category I and 3% in category VI. Court-martial records have no matching field.
Limits on the Comparison
These counts are small for a single year and do not show a trend. They cover convictions and sentences, not acquittals or dismissals. The records do not explain why the federal median was higher in fiscal year 2020, and they cannot show how a case in one system would have been sentenced in the other.
How We Counted
Courts-martial with a trial date in 2020 ending in a conviction for sexual abuse of an adult (Article 120 rape, sexual assault, and abusive sexual contact) (58). Federal: people sentenced in fiscal year 2020 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) (40), 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 2019: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial (previous or next year)
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult Sentences in 2021: 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.