Federal Sexual Abuse Sentences in the District of Arizona, FY2016–2025
In the District of Arizona, 357 people were sentenced for sexual abuse offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Of those, 353 (99%) received a prison term, with a median of 102 months (8.5 years). The median for this offense type across all 94 federal districts was 180 months.
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Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the District of Arizona, FY2016–2025 › Sexual Abuse: District of Arizona
In brief: In the District of Arizona, 357 people were sentenced for sexual abuse offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Of those, 353 (99%) received a prison term, with a median of 102 months (8.5 years). The median for this offense type across all 94 federal districts was 180 months.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 357 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 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.
Prison Terms and Life Sentences
Of the 357 people, 353 (99%) received a prison term, and 4 (1%) received probation only. 6 people received a life sentence.
The median prison term was 102 months. A quarter received 180 months or more, and a quarter received 41 months or less. For all 94 districts, more than 99% of 12,095 people were sent to prison, and the median was 180 months. The terms are those imposed, not time served.
Supervised Release Lasted Long
Supervised release was ordered for 351 people (98%), with a median term of 120 months. A total of 239 people (67%) received supervised release for life.
A fine was ordered for 8 (2%), and restitution for 64 (18%).
Pleas, Trials, and Median Terms
Of the 357 people, 325 (91%) pleaded guilty, and 32 were convicted after a trial. Among guilty pleas, more than 99% had a written plea agreement.
After a guilty plea, the median prison term was 96 months. After a trial, it was 228 months, based on 31 people convicted at trial and sent to prison. The comparison cannot show whether the trial itself affected the sentence, because the cases may differ in many ways.
Which Guidelines Applied
"Sexual Abuse" is the U.S. Sentencing Commission's offense type. The most common primary guideline was §2A3.1 (Criminal Sexual Abuse), for 154 people. Next came §2A3.2 (Criminal Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under the Age of Sixteen Years (Statutory Rape) or Attempt to Commit Such Acts) for 66, and §2A3.4 (Abusive Sexual Contact or Attempt to Commit Abusive Sexual Contact) for 54.
Another 39 people were sentenced under §2G1.3 (Promoting a Commercial Sex Act or Prohibited Sexual Conduct with a Minor). These cases were less than 1% of the 47,716 people sentenced in the district.
Guideline Range and Mandatory Minimums
The range was recorded for 356 people. Of those, 38% (135) were within it, 35% (123) were below it at the government's request, and 16% (56) were below it without a request. Another 12% (42) were above it.
For all districts, 41% were within the range. For all offenses in this district, 35% were. A mandatory minimum applied to 69 of the 356 people with that information recorded (19%). In criminal history, 69% were in the lowest category I and 2% in the highest (VI). Court-martial records have no criminal history field.
Counts and Medians by Year
Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 had 178 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 had 179. The yearly median was 51 months in fiscal year 2018 and 151.5 months in fiscal year 2020. Yearly counts ranged from 24 to 51.
The records cannot show why yearly figures differ. Davis-Monthan AFB, Fort Huachuca, Luke AFB, and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma are in this district, but courts-martial are tried in military courts, not in this federal district court.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 50 | 90 months | 92% |
| 2017 | 42 | 71 months | 90% |
| 2018 | 35 | 51 months | 94% |
| 2019 | 51 | 102 months | 92% |
| 2020 | 24 | 151.5 months | 79% |
| 2021 | 33 | 92 months | 94% |
| 2022 | 31 | 120 months | 87% |
| 2023 | 35 | 120 months | 91% |
| 2024 | 28 | 121 months | 89% |
| 2025 | 28 | 120 months | 96% |
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the District of Arizona (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Arizona") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Sexual Abuse" (357). Offense types are the Commission's OFFGUIDE categories.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 (the background article)
- Federal Prosecution Analysis (all federal posts)
- How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built (sources and method)
- Federal Sentences in the District of Arizona, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the District of Arizona, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the District of Arizona, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Drug Possession Sentences in the District of Arizona, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the District of Arizona, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- 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.