> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Courts-Martial at Fort Polk vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Louisiana - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-sex-offenses-fort-polk-vs-western-district-of-louisiana/ - Published: 2026-11-03T06:10:30.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T06:10:30.000Z - Description: Courts-martial tried at Fort Polk, Louisiana recorded 11 Army convictions under Article 120b for sexual offenses against a child, with trial dates from 2021 to 2025, and the median adjudged confinement was 21.7 months. The Western District of Louisiana sentenced 21 people in federal court for child- - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-sexual-abuse-enticement-vs-article-120b/) › Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Fort Polk **In brief:** Courts-martial tried at Fort Polk, Louisiana recorded 11 Army convictions under Article 120b for sexual offenses against a child, with trial dates from 2021 to 2025, and the median adjudged confinement was 21.7 months. The Western District of Louisiana sentenced 21 people in federal court for child-victim sexual abuse, enticement, and travel offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2024, and the median prison term was 120 months (10 years). The federal numbers cover the whole district, and most of those cases did not involve service members. Updated November 3, 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 21 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/). ## Most Federal Sentences Were Within the Guideline Range Federal judges start from a recommended sentencing range set by the guidelines. In the Western District of Louisiana, 81% of these sentences (17 of 21) were within that range. Only 1 sentence (5%) was below the range at the government's request. Another 2 (10%) were below the range without a government request, and 1 (5%) was above it. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 12 of the 21 people (57%). Each of the 21 received a prison term, and 1 received a life sentence. A quarter received 240 months or more, and a quarter received 84 months or less. ## How Each Group Was Chosen Fort Polk is in the federal Western District of Louisiana. The federal group is every person sentenced in that district under guideline §2G1.3 (enticement, transportation, and travel offenses involving a minor) plus §2A3.1 to §2A3.4 cases with a child-victim statute. These are district cases, not Fort Polk cases, and most of the people were not service members. For the military group, the records list the trial location as "Fort Polk". All 11 convictions were Army cases. The federal years in this post end with fiscal year 2024, while the court-martial trial dates run through 2025\. Federal fiscal years start on October 1. | | Courts-martial at Fort Polk | Federal court, Western District of Louisiana | | ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | | Convictions or people sentenced | 11 | 21 | | Sentenced to confinement or prison | 100% | 100% | | Median confinement or prison | 21.7 months | 120 months | | A quarter received this or more | 137.9 months | 240 months | | Pleaded guilty | 10 of 11 with a plea recorded (91%) | 76% | | Mandatory minimum applied | See the caveats | 12 of 21 with the information (57%) | ## Fort Polk Sentences All 11 Fort Polk sentences recorded included confinement, and all 11 convictions were at a general court-martial. The median confinement of 21.7 months was lower than the 36 months for all 605 court-martial convictions for this offense in the data. A quarter of those convicted at Fort Polk received 137.9 months or more. All 11 enlisted members convicted received a punitive discharge: 6 dishonorable discharges and 5 bad-conduct discharges. ## Guilty Pleas Compared Of 11 Fort Polk convictions with a plea recorded, 10 (91%) were guilty pleas, with a median confinement of 20.4 months. 1 contested case ended in conviction, and its confinement was 419.7 months. A single case cannot show how contested cases are usually sentenced. Guilty pleas were less common in the federal district: 16 of 21 people (76%). The other 5 were convicted after a trial. Each federal guilty plea had a written plea agreement. The median prison term was 95 months after a guilty plea and 384 months after a trial. ## Federal Supervision and Criminal History All 21 federal defendants were ordered to serve supervised release after prison, with a median term of 120 months. Lifetime supervised release was ordered for 2 (10%). A fine was ordered for 1 (5%), and restitution for 4 (19%). In the district group, 38% were in the lowest criminal history category, category I, and 10% were in the highest, category VI. There is no criminal history field in court-martial records. The district median of 120 months was the same as the median across all federal districts, where 4,971 people were sentenced. ## What Cannot Be Read From These Numbers Both groups are small: 11 convictions and 21 people. Court-martial confinement is adjudged confinement, before any clemency or appeal, and federal prison terms are the terms imposed rather than time served. The records hold no case facts. They cannot show what sentence any Fort Polk case would have received in the district court. ### How We Counted Courts-martial with trial dates in 2016 to 2025 whose recorded trial location is Fort Polk, Louisiana, ending in a conviction for sexual offenses against a child (Article 120b; federal child-victim sexual abuse, enticement, and travel offenses) (11). Federal: people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 in the Western District of Louisiana (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Louisiana West") under guideline §2G1.3 (enticement, transportation, and travel offenses involving a minor) plus §2A3.1 to §2A3.4 cases with a child-victim statute (21). The installation is matched to the federal district for the county where it sits. 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. **Mandatory minimum sentences.** Many federal statutes on drugs, images of child exploitation, child sex abuse, and firearms carry mandatory minimum prison terms. The UCMJ has mandatory minimums only for a few offenses (a dishonorable discharge or dismissal for rape and sexual assault, and life for premeditated murder). Federal sentences for these offenses are partly set by Congress, not by the judge. ## 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) - [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/) (overview) - [Federal Sentences in the Western District of Louisiana, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-western-district-of-louisiana/) (the federal district) - [Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Courts-Martial at Bremerton vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Washington](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-sex-offenses-bremerton-vs-western-district-of-washington/) (other installations) - [Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Courts-Martial at Camp Lejeune vs. Federal Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-sex-offenses-camp-lejeune-vs-eastern-district-of-north-carolina/) (other installations) - [Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Courts-Martial at Camp Pendleton vs. Federal Court in the Southern District of California](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-sex-offenses-camp-pendleton-vs-southern-district-of-california/) (other installations) - [Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Courts-Martial at Fort Bragg vs. Federal Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-sex-offenses-fort-bragg-vs-eastern-district-of-north-carolina/) (other installations) - [Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Federal Sentences vs. Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-sex-offenses-vs-air-force/) - [Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-sex-offenses-vs-army/) - [Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Federal Sentences vs. Marine Corps Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-sex-offenses-vs-marine-corps/) - [Fewer or More? Child Sexual Abuse Charges at Army Courts-Martial, 2021–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-120b-trend-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [How Much Confinement for an Article 120b Conviction in the Army?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-120b-sent-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [How Often Are Contested Army Article 120b Cases Acquitted?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-120b-acq-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Pleading Guilty to Article 120b in the Army: What Sentences Followed?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-120b-plea-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [How Has Article 120b Changed in Air Force Courts-Martial Since 2016?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-120b-trend-2016-2025/) (court-martial data) - [How Much Confinement for an Article 120b Conviction in the Air Force?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-120b-sent-2016-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Guilty Pleas in Air Force Child Sexual Abuse Cases: How Often, and What Came Next](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-120b-plea-2016-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Fewer or More? Child Sexual Abuse Charges at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, 2017–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-120b-trend-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [What Sentence Follows a Navy-Marine Corps Child Sexual Abuse Conviction?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-120b-sent-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Fighting a Navy-Marine Corps Child Sexual Abuse Charge: How Contested Cases Ended](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-120b-acq-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Child Sexual Abuse Cases: How Often, and What Came Next](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-120b-plea-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Article 120b (Rape and Sexual Assault of a Child): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-120b-courts-martial/) (court-martial data) - [Article 120b UCMJ: Rape and Sexual Assault of a Child](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-120b/?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.