Acquittal Rates for Child Pornography and Sexual Abuse Charges: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial
Federal trials for child pornography (images of child exploitation) ended in an acquittal 3% of the time: 9 of 328 trials in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Federal sexual abuse trials ended in an acquittal 29% of the time: 79 of 276. Among contested Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial that reach
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Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Acquittals: Child Pornography and Sexual Abuse
In brief: Federal trials for child pornography (images of child exploitation) ended in an acquittal 3% of the time: 9 of 328 trials in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Federal sexual abuse trials ended in an acquittal 29% of the time: 79 of 276. Among contested Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial that reached a verdict, 0 of 53 Article 134 child pornography cases ended in a full acquittal, and 305 of 620 Article 120 cases did (49%).
This post uses the Federal Judicial Center's records of 16,644 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 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.
Acquittal Rates in Federal Trials
The Federal Judicial Center counts every defendant whose case ended, including dismissals and acquittals. It records 14,551 defendants charged under 18 U.S.C. 2252 or 2252A (child pornography) in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. It also records 2,093 defendants charged under 18 U.S.C. 2241 to 2244 (sexual abuse).
Of the 328 child pornography trials, 9 ended in an acquittal (3%). Jury trials numbered 277, with 5 acquittals (2%), and bench trials, decided by a judge, numbered 51, with 4 acquittals (8%).
Of the 276 sexual abuse trials, 79 ended in an acquittal (29%). There were 257 jury trials with 72 acquittals (28%), and 19 bench trials with 7 acquittals (37%).
| Fiscal year | Cases ended | Pleaded guilty | Dismissed | Trials | Acquitted at trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1,689 | 94% | 3% | 38 | 1 (3%) |
| 2017 | 1,497 | 94% | 4% | 33 | 0 (0%) |
| 2018 | 1,505 | 94% | 3% | 45 | 0 (0%) |
| 2019 | 1,450 | 95% | 2% | 32 | 2 (6%) |
| 2020 | 1,091 | 94% | 4% | 25 | 0 (0%) |
| 2021 | 1,284 | 94% | 4% | 23 | 2 (9%) |
| 2022 | 1,540 | 94% | 3% | 36 | 3 (8%) |
| 2023 | 1,528 | 94% | 3% | 37 | 1 (3%) |
| 2024 | 1,475 | 95% | 3% | 32 | 0 (0%) |
| 2025 | 1,492 | 96% | 3% | 27 | 0 (0%) |
How Few Federal Cases Reach Trial
Most federal child pornography cases ended in a guilty plea: 13,743 (94%). Another 480 (3%) were dismissed, and 328 (2%) went to trial. 14,062 of the 14,551 (97%) were convicted, by plea or at trial.
Sexual abuse cases went to trial more often. Of the 2,093 defendants, 1,555 (74%) pleaded guilty, 262 (13%) had their cases dismissed, and 276 (13%) went to trial. In all, 1,752 (84%) were convicted.
An acquittal rate based on trials leaves out the cases that ended before trial. Dismissals are a separate outcome and are not counted as acquittals.
| 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%) |
Contested Courts-Martial for Child Pornography
A court-martial is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. Court-martial records show 53 contested Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases under Article 134 for child pornography (images of child exploitation) that reached a verdict from 2016 to 2025.
0 of the 53 ended in a full acquittal. 13 (25%) were partial acquittals, which means not guilty of at least one charge and guilty of another.
By who decided guilt, a judge alone decided 39 cases, with 0 full acquittals. Members decided 6 cases, with 0 full acquittals. In 8 cases no forum was listed, and none of those ended in a full acquittal either.
Contested Courts-Martial Under Article 120
Article 120 covers sexual offenses under military law. Court-martial records show 620 contested Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases under Article 120 that reached a verdict in the same years.
305 ended in a full acquittal (49%), and 173 (28%) were partial acquittals. The full acquittal rate was 30% when a judge alone decided guilt (48 of 158 cases) and 50% when members decided it (118 of 238).
Enlisted members decided 203 cases, with 108 full acquittals (53%). Officer members decided 35 cases, with 10 full acquittals (29%). No forum was listed for 224 cases, with 139 full acquittals (62%).
Why the Federal and Court-Martial Rates Differ in Kind
The federal rate counts trials. The court-martial rate counts contested cases that reached a verdict. A federal trial can be before a jury or a judge. A court-martial verdict can come from a judge alone or from members.
Federal case data does not report partial acquittals separately, so the federal rates cannot be compared with the partial acquittal figures above.
The federal and military systems also screen cases differently before trial. A federal felony needs a grand jury indictment, and federal prosecutors decide which cases to bring. A court-martial has no grand jury.
What the Records Cannot Show
Air Force records rarely list the charges in acquittals, so Air Force cases are left out of the court-martial figures. The Army, Navy, and Marine Corps numbers therefore do not describe the whole military.
Some of the court-martial groups are small, and the records cannot show the facts of any case. They also cannot show why an acquittal rate differs from one charge or one forum to another.
How We Counted
Federal: defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 with 18 U.S.C. 2252 or 2252A (14,551) or 18 U.S.C. 2241 to 2244 (2,093) as the most serious charge (Federal Judicial Center). Courts-martial: contested Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases with a verdict charging these offenses, trial dates 2016 to 2025.
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.
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.
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)
- Are Courts-Martial More Likely to End in Acquittal Than Federal Trials?
- Guilty Pleas in Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial, Year by Year
- Child Pornography Sentences: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial, 2016–2025
- Federal Law Has No Crime of Drug Use: How Article 112a Cases Compare
- Drug Distribution and Importation: Federal vs. Court-Martial Sentences, 2016–2025
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Cases vs. Article 120 Courts-Martial
- Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Federal Cases vs. Article 120b Courts-Martial
- Theft and Fraud by Dollar Loss: Federal Sentences vs. Article 121 Courts-Martial
- Fewer or More? General Article Charges at Army Courts-Martial, 2021–2025 (court-martial data)
- What Sentence Follows an Army General Article Conviction? (court-martial data)
- Fighting an Army General Article Charge: How Contested Cases Ended (court-martial data)
- Guilty Pleas in Army General Article Cases: How Often, and What Came Next (court-martial data)
- Air Force Article 134 Cases by the Numbers, 2016–2025 (court-martial data)
- What Sentence Follows an Air Force General Article Conviction? (court-martial data)
- Guilty Pleas in Air Force General Article Cases: How Often, and What Came Next (court-martial data)
- Is Navy-Marine Corps General Article Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 134, 2017–2025 (court-martial data)
- What Sentence Follows a Navy-Marine Corps General Article Conviction? (court-martial data)
- Not Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Article 134 Cases: What Happened at Trial (court-martial data)
- When Navy-Marine Corps Accused Plead Guilty to General Article (court-martial data)
- Article 134 (General Article): Court-Martial Data and Trends (court-martial data)
- 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 134 UCMJ: The General Article (law firm reference page)
- Article 120 UCMJ Explained by a Former Special Victim Prosecutor (law firm reference page)
- Forum Selection (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.