Sexual Abuse of an Adult Sentences in 2024: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial
In fiscal year 2024, 53 people were sentenced in federal court for sexual abuse of an adult, and the median prison term was 65 months. Courts-martial recorded 81 convictions for this offense with 2024 trial dates, with a median confinement of 24 months. The share receiving confinement or prison was
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 8 min read
Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Sexual Abuse of an Adult › Sexual Abuse of an Adult: 2024
In brief: In fiscal year 2024, 53 people were sentenced in federal court for sexual abuse of an adult, and the median prison term was 65 months. Courts-martial recorded 81 convictions for this offense with 2024 trial dates, with a median confinement of 24 months. The share receiving confinement or prison was about the same on both sides: 90% at courts-martial and 91% in federal court.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 53 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal year 2024, 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.
Confinement Rates and Medians
73 of the 81 court-martial convictions with a sentence recorded (90%) included confinement. In federal court, 48 of the 53 people (91%) received a prison term, and 3 (6%) received probation only.
The court-martial median of 24 months equals 2 years. It is the confinement adjudged at trial, before clemency or appeal. A quarter of the convictions carried 40.4 months or more.
The federal median of 65 months equals 5.4 years and covers only those sent to prison. A quarter received 145.8 months or more, a quarter received 24 months or less, and 2 people received a life sentence. Federal terms are the terms imposed, not time served.
| Courts-martial, 2024 | Federal court, FY2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Convictions or people sentenced | 81 | 53 |
| Sentenced to confinement or prison | 90% | 91% |
| Median confinement or prison | 24 months | 65 months |
| A quarter received this or more | 40.4 months | 145.8 months |
| Pleaded guilty | 32 of 80 with a plea recorded (40%) | 81% |
| Mandatory minimum applied | See the caveats | 1 of 52 with the information (2%) |
An Unusual Federal Trial Figure
In fiscal year 2024, 43 of the 53 federal defendants (81%) pleaded guilty, and 10 were convicted after a trial. The median prison term after a guilty plea was 74 months. After a trial, the median was 42 months, based on 10 people convicted at trial and sent to prison.
That puts the trial median lower than the guilty-plea median this year. With only 10 trial convictions, the figure is small and can move a great deal between years. The records do not show the charges or facts behind it.
Of the federal guilty pleas, 98% had a written plea agreement and 2% were straight pleas.
Pleas at Courts-Martial
Of the 80 court-martial convictions with a plea recorded, 32 (40%) were guilty pleas. The median confinement after a guilty plea was 16.9 months, across 32 cases with confinement. Contested cases that ended in conviction had a median of 29.8 months, across 40 cases with confinement.
Who Was in Each Count
The court-martial count covers Article 120 rape, sexual assault, and abusive sexual contact, by calendar year of trial. The Army had 44 convictions, the Air Force 15, the Navy 11, and the Marine Corps 11. 77 of the 81 (95%) were at a general court-martial.
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 2024 ran from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024.
Discharges, Guidelines, and Restitution
70 of the 76 enlisted members convicted (92%) received a punitive discharge, including 47 dishonorable and 23 bad-conduct discharges. 4 officers were convicted, and 3 were dismissed.
On the federal side, 53% (28) of sentences were within the guideline range. 23% (12) were below the range at the government's request, 13% (7) below it without a request, and 11% (6) above it. A mandatory minimum applied to 1 (2%).
Restitution was ordered for 17 people (32%) and a fine for 5 (9%). Supervised release followed prison for 48 (91%), with a median term of 60 months, and 10 (19%) received it for life. 62% were in criminal history category I and 2% in category VI, a measure court-martial records do not include.
Placing 2024 in the Full Record
All years together include 901 court-martial convictions with trial dates from 2016 to 2025, with a median confinement of 24 months, the same as in 2024. Federal court sentenced 531 people in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, with a median prison term of 74 months.
| 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% |
What the Data Does Not Show
Acquittals and dismissals are not in these counts. The records do not explain individual sentences or the choice between plea and trial. They cannot show how either system would have sentenced a case from the other.
How We Counted
Courts-martial with a trial date in 2024 ending in a conviction for sexual abuse of an adult (Article 120 rape, sexual assault, and abusive sexual contact) (81). Federal: people sentenced in fiscal year 2024 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) (53), 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 2023: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial (previous or next year)
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult Sentences in 2025: 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.