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# Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Sentences vs. Navy Courts-Martial, 2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-vs-navy/
- Published: 2026-11-03T01:38:24.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-03T01:38:24.000Z
- Description: The Navy median adjudged confinement for 178 convictions of sexual abuse of an adult was 30 months, from trials in 2016 to 2025. The federal median prison term for 531 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 was 74 months. Navy courts-martial and federal court define their groups differently,
- 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: Navy

**In brief:** The Navy median adjudged confinement for 178 convictions of sexual abuse of an adult was 30 months, from trials in 2016 to 2025\. The federal median prison term for 531 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 was 74 months. Navy courts-martial and federal court define their groups differently, and the sections below set out the details.

Updated November 2, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judicial Center, fiscal years 2016–2025 · Military Trial Results

This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 531 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 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](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/).

## Navy Confinement and How It Changed Over Time

Of the 178 Navy convictions, 151 (85%) included confinement. A quarter of the sentences were 72 months or more.

The median confinement for trials in 2016 to 2019 was 36 months, from 88 cases with confinement. For trials in 2020 to 2025 the median was 18 months, from 63 cases. The records do not say why the figures differ.

## Guilty Pleas Compared With Contested Cases

A plea was recorded for 175 convictions, and 82 (47%) were guilty pleas. The Navy median after a guilty plea was 36 months, from 80 cases with confinement.

In contested cases that ended in conviction, the Navy median was 24 months, from 68 cases. This is lower than the median after a guilty plea, which is the opposite of the federal pattern.

## Discharges, Officers, and Court Type

Of the 162 enlisted members convicted, 125 received a punitive discharge (77%). That count is 96 dishonorable discharges and 29 bad-conduct discharges.

Navy records list 9 officers convicted, and 7 were dismissed. A general court-martial heard 152 of the 178 convictions (85%).

## The Federal Group and Its Sentences

The Sentencing Commission counted 531 people 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). A prison term went to 506 (95%).

Among the people sent to prison, the median was 74 months. A quarter received 24 months or less, and a quarter received 151 months or more. A guilty plea was entered by 462 people (87%), with a median of 63 months. The 69 people convicted at trial had a median of 131.5 months among those sent to prison.

A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 7 people (1%). Supervised release followed prison for 506 people, with a median term of 60 months, and 73 (14%) received it for life. Among federal guilty pleas, 97% had a written plea agreement.

|                                    | Navy courts-martial                  | Federal court, FY2016–FY2025 |
| ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ---------------------------- |
| Convictions or people sentenced    | 178                                  | 531                          |
| Sentenced to confinement or prison | 85%                                  | 95%                          |
| Median confinement or prison       | 30 months                            | 74 months                    |
| A quarter received this or more    | 72 months                            | 151 months                   |
| Pleaded guilty                     | 82 of 175 with a plea recorded (47%) | 87%                          |
| Mandatory minimum applied          | See the caveats                      | 1%                           |

## Where the Navy Falls Among the Services

Navy and Air Force medians were the highest of the services, at 30 months and 29.6 months. The Army median was 22 months and the Marine Corps median was 24 months.

The Navy punitive discharge rate for enlisted members was 77%, the lowest in the table. The Navy share of guilty pleas, 47%, was higher than the Army share of 43% and lower than the Marine Corps share of 78%.

| Service      | Convictions, 2016–2025 | With confinement | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) | Guilty pleas (where recorded) |
| ------------ | ---------------------- | ---------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| Army         | 335                    | 87%              | 22 months          | 81%                           | 43%                           |
| Air Force    | 208                    | 88%              | 29.6 months        | 89%                           | 14%                           |
| Navy         | 178                    | 85%              | 30 months          | 77%                           | 47%                           |
| Marine Corps | 180                    | 92%              | 24 months          | 91%                           | 78%                           |

## What the Records Cannot Establish

Court-martial sentences are as adjudged, before any clemency or appeal, and federal terms are those imposed, not time served. The court-martial numbers use trial dates and the federal numbers use fiscal years.

Court-martial records have no criminal history field. The facts of individual cases are not in either data set, so neither can explain differences in sentences.

### How We Counted

Navy courts-martial with trial dates in 2016 to 2025 ending in a conviction for sexual abuse of an adult (Article 120 rape, sexual assault, and abusive sexual contact) (178). Federal: 531 people sentenced 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), fiscal years 2016 to 2025 (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.

**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.

**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.

**Federal supervised release.** Most federal prison sentences are followed by a term of supervised release that the judge sets as part of the sentence. A person who violates it can be sent back to prison. A court-martial cannot sentence anyone to supervision after release. Military parole and mandatory supervised release are decided later by a board, not by the judge at trial.

**Who decides the sentence, and under what rules.** Federal judges sentence every federal case. They must calculate the Sentencing Guidelines range, which is advisory, and must impose any mandatory minimum the statute requires unless an exception applies. In courts-martial, the accused could choose sentencing by members until the rules changed. For cases in which every guilty finding is for an offense committed after December 27, 2023, a military judge sentences alone, within sentencing parameters. Courts-martial tried in 2024 and later include both old-rule and new-rule cases, and the data cannot tell them apart.

**How life sentences and "time served" are counted.** In the federal numbers, a life sentence is counted as 470 months, and any other sentence longer than 470 months is counted as just under 470 months. A sentence of "time served" is counted as one day (0.03 months). Averages are affected by these rules; medians much less.

## 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: Federal Sentences vs. Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-vs-air-force/)
- [Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-vs-army/)
- [Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Sentences vs. Marine Corps Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-vs-marine-corps/)
- [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: How Often Federal Trials and Courts-Martial End in Acquittal](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-acquittal-rate-vs-courts-martial/)
- [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)
- [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)
- [Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-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)
- [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.